Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Intervention on Oxidative Stress and Expression of Nerve Growth Factor in Patients with Craniocerebral Injury.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 37927956 · doi:10.2147/JIR.S422790
What was done
Forty patients with craniocerebral injury at the First People's Hospital of Nantong were randomized via random number table into a control group (n = 20) receiving routine clinical intervention for traumatic brain injury, or a hyperbaric oxygen group (n = 20) receiving routine care plus hyperbaric oxygen therapy from days 7 to 30. Serum markers of oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, endothelium-derived relaxing factor-nitric oxide) and nerve growth factor levels were measured at admission and after 30 days of treatment.
What was found
The abstract reports direction of change without specific numerical values, effect sizes, or p-values: serum superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide, and nerve growth factor increased significantly more in the hyperbaric oxygen group compared to the control group, while serum malondialdehyde concentrations decreased significantly more in the hyperbaric oxygen group.
Why it matters
This study suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy may help reduce systemic oxidative stress and upregulate nerve growth factor in traumatic brain injury.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n = 40 total) from a single center. The abstract provides zero numerical values, standard deviations, or p-values, does not mention blinding or sham-hyperbaric controls, and evaluates only surrogate serum biomarkers without reporting functional, neurological, or clinical recovery endpoints.
Cited by
- supports Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases oxygen delivery, nerve growth factors, stem cell mobilization, and capillary perfusion.