Aviv Clinics announced a new retrospective cohort study demonstrating that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can significantly improve cognitive outcomes in adults who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during childhood and continue to experience post-concussion syndrome (PCS). According to the company, the research was conducted by the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center and Tel Aviv University, covering treatments between 2017 and 2024.
The study involved 26 adult participants whose TBIs occurred before the age of 17 and who later received at least 40 HBOT sessions after age 20. The company claims these individuals showed substantial improvements in multiple cognitive domains: global cognition, memory, executive function, attention, and information processing speed. These gains were observed irrespective of how much time had passed since the injury or the initial severity of the TBI.
Key quantitative findings include improvements in global cognitive function (8.06 points), memory (9.82 points), executive function (5.94 points), attention (8.50 points), and information processing speed (9.84 points), with statistical significance in each category. The company said effect sizes ranged from medium to large, suggesting meaningful clinical relevance.
Aviv Clinics notes this is the first study to focus specifically on adults with PCS stemming from childhood TBI, underscoring the potential for neuroplastic recovery even decades post-injury. The company said its HBOT protocol involves administering 100% oxygen at elevated atmospheric pressure and follows a “hyperoxic-hypoxic paradox” approach.
