Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is one of the safe, alternative therapies the BART Foundation believes may help brain injury survivors. One way we fulfill our mission is by carefully watching global research and clinical trial outcomes and sharing that information in user-friendly language with the TBI/ABI community. Perhaps if HBOT becomes more widely accepted as a treatment option, TBI/ABI survivors will be able to gain better access to this life-changing treatment.
We wanted to share an article we recently reviewed from the Annals of Medicine & Surgery 87(11):p 7490-7498, November 2025, titled Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for neurocognitive deficits following traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The article focuses on research conducted through a collaborative effort of several medical universities and research groups in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which involves delivering 100% oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure in a sealed chamber, has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for TBI. By enhancing oxygen delivery to injured tissues, HBOT may support neuroregeneration and help mitigate the secondary injury cascade associated with TBI. HBOT also decreases brain swelling, promotes axonal sprouting and synapse remodeling, improves motor function recovery, increases cerebral glucose utilization, and improves neurological outcomes in TBI patients.
This study reviewed and analyzed data from four studies involving 250 TBI patients to assess the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in improving neurocognitive functions. The scientists found that HBOT significantly improved multiple neurocognitive domains in patients with TBI. The most pronounced improvements were observed in memory and attention, with additional benefits in general cognition scores, executive function, information processing speed, and motor skills. All authors involved with the published research are distinguished physicians in their home country. Like most of the world outside of the United States, they are following Israel’s lead in using HBOT to treat a range of brain injuries, especially TBI.
If this article has made you want to learn more, please visit our Media page for a selection of video interviews and webinars we have conducted and hosted over the years. If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!
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