PTSD Brain Damage Shows Recovery with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Tel Aviv Study Reveals

A groundbreaking study from Tel Aviv University and the Sagol Center has demonstrated that HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) offers hope to PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) sufferers who have exhausted other treatment options. The new study dealt with people who suffered traumas resulting from the October 7 Hamas terror massacre.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a medical treatment in which a person breathes pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, which can help the body heal.

HBOT may help to improve brain function after a traumatic brain injury and other studies have shown that HBOT may be effective in treating PTSD, especially when other treatments have not been successful. And other studies have shown that HBOT may be effective in treating PTSD, especially when other treatments have not been successful.

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The Tel Aviv University and the Sagol Center study was led by Prof. Shai Efrati and Dr. Keren Doenyas-Barak from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University and the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at the Shamir Medical Center. Other contributors include: Dr. Ilan Kutz, Gabriela Levi, Dr. Erez Lang, Dr. Amir Asulin, Dr. Amir Hadanny, and Dr. Ilia Beberashvili from the Shamir Medical Center, and Dr. Kristoffer Aberg and Dr. Avi Mayo from the Weizmann Institute. The paper was published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

“Our unique therapeutic protocol affects the biological brain ‘wound’ associated with PTSD, and effectively reduces typical symptoms such as flashbacks, hypervigilance, and irritability. We believe that our findings give new hope to millions of PTSD sufferers and their families, all over the world,” said the researchers.

“Due to our unfortunate circumstances, Israel has become a global leader in the field of PTSD, said”Prof. Efrati. “Before the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, approximately 6,000 IDF veterans had been recognized as PTSD sufferers, with many others, both soldiers and citizens, not yet acknowledged by the authorities. Following Oct. 7 and the ensuing war, these numbers have risen sharply. Tens of thousands of soldiers, and much larger numbers of civilians, are likely to be diagnosed with PTSD. The world-leading Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine, the largest of its kind in the world, is rising to the challenge – with a comprehensive therapeutic array comprising hyperbaric facilities combined with diverse mental health professionals, psychologists and psychiatrists. At present we treat hundreds of PTSD sufferers every day, aiming to reach one thousand patients per year.”

The study, which began in 2019 and ended in the summer of 2023, included 98 male IDF veterans diagnosed with combat-associated PTSD, who had not responded to either psychotherapy or psychiatric medications. Participants were divided into two groups: one group received HBOT treatment, breathing pure high-pressure oxygen, while the other went through the same procedure, but received a placebo treatment, breathing regular air. 28 members of each group completed the process and the following evaluation.

“The HBOT was administered in accordance with a unique treatment protocol developed at our Center,” explained Dr. Doenyas-Barak. “Every patient is given a series of 60 two-hour treatments in our hyperbaric chamber, during which they are exposed to pure 100% oxygen at a pressure of 2 atmospheres (twice the normal air pressure at sea level). Our protocol specifies alternately breathing oxygen and regular air: every 20 minutes the patient removes the oxygen mask and breathes regular air for five minutes. The drop in oxygen level, at the tissue level, activates healing processes and thus enhances the therapeutic effect.”

The results were encouraging, with improvements observed both at the clinical level and in fMRI imaging. The group that received hyperbaric therapy showed improved connectivity in brain networks, alongside a decline in all typical PTSD symptoms. In the placebo group, on the other hand, no change was observed in either the brain or clinical symptoms.

“Our study demonstrated that HBOT induces biological healing in the brain of PTSD sufferers. Curing the biological wound also impacts clinical symptoms,” added Prof. Efrati. “We believe that HBOT, based on the special protocol we have developed, can bring relief to numerous PTSD sufferers worldwide, allowing them to resume a normative life in their community and family.”

Prof. Efrati emphasized, “Patients suffering from PTSD should undergo HBOT only at professional hyperbaric centers, where treatment is delivered by multidisciplinary teams experienced in trauma care. Unsupervised, private hyperbaric chambers are unable to provide the proven, effective protocol. Additionally, it is crucial that patients receive a thorough professional evaluation to ensure they are suitable for HBOT and to determine what additional support is needed throughout their treatment journey.”