Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Brain Health: How does it work?

Learn the surprising benefits of HBOT for brain health in healthy aging adults

As we get older, the physical signs of aging are easy to see. The odd wrinkle here, a new gray hair there… But what we can’t see is what’s happening inside our bodies.

Our brain is not immune to aging. Microscopic changes begin to occur in our brain cells as we get older, which can lead to a decline in our memory function and cognitive abilities.

Every person’s brain is affected slightly differently, but normal aging can often cause:

1. Difficulty learning something new
2. More problems with multitasking
3. A mild decrease in your ability to pay attention
4. More difficulty finding words or recalling names and numbers
5. A struggle to remember appointments.

While this is normal and not a sign of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, many of us are searching for ways to remain sharper for longer as we age.

This is where hyperbaric oxygen therapy for brain health comes in.

How hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help

Keeping your brain in shape and reducing cognitive decline starts with exercising and eating a healthy diet—but two new scientific studies suggest that HBOT can also help. 

Improved cerebral blood flow

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is critically important to keep your brain supplied with the oxygen and energy it needs to function normally.

In a study of 63 healthy aging adults, hyperbaric oxygen therapy was shown to induce cognitive enhancements by increasing the CBF.

The main brain health improvements, all of which normally decline with aging, included:

1. Attention
2. Information processing speed
3. Executive functions. 

Significant senolytic effects

As we age, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes — called telomeres — shorten, causing DNA to become damaged and cells to stop replicating. At the same time, senescent cells that prevent regeneration begin to build up in the body.

Research published this month indicates that HBOT may induce significant senolytic effects, including significantly increasing telomere length and clearing senescent cells. In this new study, HBOT reduced senescent cells by up to 37 percent, making way for new healthy cells to regrow. 

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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can also help in the recovery of brain injury—including stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-concussion syndrome, and more.