HBOT AND STROKE?
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The most important factors in a stroke patient’s recovery is the extent of the infarct and of the penumbra, the region that surrounds the infarct. The presence of viable brain tissue in the penumbra explains why the initial symptoms do not always predict how much function the patient will eventually recover. Key attributes of HBOT are that it decreases swelling and reawakens the stunned neurons within the penumbra by providing them with oxygen. Activation of
these neurons explains why patients can show improvement when HBOT is administered years after a stroke occurs. Many stroke patients have stunned but living brain cells, which are especially common in cases, where imaging studies show the presence of potentially recoverable brain tissue. The revival of non-functional neurons is HBOT’s most notable effect in cases of stroke. (See: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy by Richard Neubauer)