Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT) has been the talk of many autism conferences specifically by Dr. Jerry Kartzinel at a conference in June 2005 as a possible treatment for Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Click here for notes on this conference.
What is HBOT?
Mild Hyperbaric Therapy is a safe, effective way to get more oxygen into the body at the cellular level by using pressurized air chambers. According to the Laws of Physics, an increase in atmospheric pressure allows for more gas to be dissolved into any given liquid. Oxygen exists as a gas at room temperature, and the human body is made up almost entirely of water. The chambers used at the Hyperbaric Therapy Center use filtered ambient air with an additional oxygen concentrator to safely administer oxygen to the body with many therapeutic benefits. By allowing more oxygen to penetrate otherwise oxygen deficient areas, relief for many common ailments can be sought, because mHBOT enables the body to carry out oxygen dependant processes by dissolving oxygen directly into the blood, plasma and cerebrospinal fluids.
Some doctors are still studying the effects of HBOT treatment for children affected with autism if it helps –
- healing the gut and brain inflammation (two that may be separate issues or experienced simultaneously)
- blood flow to key areas of the brain
- dealing with gut parasites, yeast or bacteria
- or if it helps all four areas
Some personal notes:
My son has completed 40 HBOT outpatient treatments at 1.3 atmospheres for the first five treatments and then moved up to 1.5 atmospheres for the last 35 treatments.
His improvements are in the areas of:
- language (pragmatics)
- social skills
- It appears he is mastering and acquisitioning in his ABA program much more and much faster than ever before. (They are on theory of mind and advanced skills with curriculum helpers for abstract/new concepts at school.)
- In addition, his abstract concepts are really picking up (for example: Jeff -- tell me a story. He responds with a full on story - 5-10 sentences long with a start "Once upon a time..." and keeps going!)
- overall health has improved as well in his complexion and his body functions (stooling everyday that look more normal than before.)
A few thoughts to consider if you are pursuing this treatment:
- Dr Jerry Kartzinel recommends 1.3-1.5 atmospheres, 1 hour sessions
- It is recommended for a minimum of 40 sessions. Dr Jerry is reporting benefits being seen at 2 – 20 sessions. Some children require up to 80 sessions.
- We did not see any changes in Jeff until the 21 st session.
- HBOT costs about $100-$300 per session. If you pre-pay for 20, 40 or more sessions there are discounts that can be made. These need to be discussed with each vendor prior to committed to a service.
- Unfortunately, this is not a standard care option for autism so I have not heard of anyone yet getting reimbursement from Health Insurance companies.
- This medical intervention typically requires a prescription for outpatient services (both soft chambers & hard / 100% oxygen chambers. )
- You ALSO require a prescription to buy a unit for in home use.
Types of HBOT Treatment :
This is where treatments vary and providers argue which treatment is best. For the purpose of providing an overview to parents considering this treatment for their child – there are two types of HBOT equipment:
- Hard chambers with 100% oxygen (typically provided in an outpatient facility
- Soft chambers with “concentrated” oxygen (provided by certain Defeat Autism Now (DAN) doctors and other providers such as chiropractors and other professionals.
Many of the DAN providers are looking to recommend mild hyperbarics at 1.3 to 1.5 atmospheres. The Hard Chamber providers can provide this low level hyperbaric treatment with 100% oxygen.
Typically the hard chambers providing 100% oxygen DO NOT ALLOW electronics of any kind in their units for safety reasons. Some providers have wired their units for music or for watching video on DVD or VHS with viewing portholes. You need to inquire if this is available for your child if it is needed.
Many of the soft chambers have been approved for home use and do not use 100% oxygen. These chambers typical use what is defined as an oxygen concentrator. These concentrators filter the air in the room and provide a higher level of oxygenation to the air in the chamber. The percent concentration of the air in the chamber with an oxygen concentrator has been debated to be somewhere between 40-80%. While I realize this is a big difference in the level of concentration of the oxygen I have to keep in mind here in smoggy Southern California the air we breathe is about 15-20% oxygen.
Please note these are my opinions based on the research I have done and professionals I have spoken to. I highly recommend doing your own research regarding the different units and outpatient services available.
HBOT & Supplements – a very important combination:
It is important to note that many doctors recommend HBOT for children on the spectrum IN CONJUNCTION WITH antioxidant supplements. HBOT treatments can cause additional oxidative stress to patients.
Supplements to consider while providing HBOT treatments are: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, CoQ10, glutathione, and selenium. Dosing of these supplements are based on the age, weight and testing of the patients. Please see your doctor for additional information.
California HBOT Providers :
You can either buy a unit for in home use or use a local HBOT provider. After doing some research and receiving TACA family recommendations – please see the TACA RESOURCE LIST and click on Hyperbaric providers.
Some Updated studies can be found at hbot4u.com/research.html
For additional providers – please see www.hbotproviders.com
Please note: I do NOT KNOW if the professionals listed at HBOT PROVIDERS.com have experience with children affected with autism. Please be sure to ask this question.
What Children are not good candidates for HBOT :
HBOT is a medical procedure. It is recommended that your doctor evaluate the treatment based on the unique needs of the patient to make a recommendation. HBOT treatment REQUIRES A DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION and should be evaluated uniquely based on the childs needs and potential issues.
Some doctors do NOT recommend children with these issues receive HBOT:
- Central nervous system birth trauma (severe)
- Some children with cerebral palsy, stroke or other birth traumas can greatly benefit from HBOT. This needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
- Seizures (some variations may be fine for HBOT treatments. This needs to be discussed with your doctor.)
- Children with a severe sinus infections or cold should not do hyperbaric oxygen therapy until these symptoms subside. If sinus issues are chronic this needs to be discussed with your doctor.
BUY ONE:
The Hyperbaric Therapy Center is now offering a 5% discount to TACA& other autism organization Members (like NAA, Thoughtful House, etc.)
Buying a personal HBOT unit
There are HBOT units FDA approved for home use. These units do not use 100% oxygen like the units in hospitals or out patient clinics. These units use filtered or concentrated oxygen.
The Hyperbaric Therapy center in GEORGIA has generously offered a 5% discount on all chamber purchases made by members of TACA, Thoughtful House, National Autism Association (NAA.) In addition, a donation will be made to your charity of choice for each sale. Please note, none of these organizations does not sell HBOT chambers directly. Purchases must be made through the Hyperbaric Therapy Center. For more product information, visit www.hypertc.com or call (678) 513-1200 and be sure to mention one of the charities: TACA, National Autism Association or Thoughtful House.
For families not sure if they wish to obtain the services or buy a unit for in home use – the Hypebaric Therapy Center offers inexpensive treatments in Georgia for families of special needs children. In addition, any services paid to them for treatment can be applied to a soft Oxyhealth chamber should you desire to purchase one.
Retail price of these units are $20,900 PLUS $300 SHIPPING
Recent Paper on Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen for ASD:
J.A. Buckley/Medical Veritas 2 (2005) 647 647 Hypothesis
How mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy works and why it is good for our children
Julie A. Buckley, MD, FAAP
Pediatric Partners of Ponte Vedra, P.A.
5270 Palm Valley Road
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 USA
Phone: +1 904 543 1288 Fax: +1 904 543 1289
Email: drbuckley@pppvonline.com
Website: www.pppvonline.com
Physicists figured out years ago that a gas under pressure is more likely to dissolve into liquid—in mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the gas is oxygen and the liquid is blood. But under pressure, oxygen doesn't only hook up to red blood cells (the "traditional" way oxygen is delivered to tissues), it also dissolves into the plasma. When that plasma circulates near dormant or injured tissue such as an encephalopathic brain, a bruised muscle, a sprained tendon, or a surgical wound, the oxygen in the plasma can and does dissolve further into the damaged area than the oxygen that's attached to the red blood cell in that "traditional" delivery system. When hyperbaric therapy was first used, higher pressures of 2-4 ATA (absolute atmospheres) of pressure and 100% oxygen were used. The world of hyperbaric medicine is learning that lower pressures (1.3 ATA in the portable chambers approved by the FDA for use in the home, 1.3-1.5 ATA in larger hospital and clinic based chambers) and less oxygen (often 21 to 40% FiO2) seem to have excellent effect on multiple systems of our bodies. In particular, lower pressure appears to be more beneficial for the injured brain than higher pressure.
We can look to apparent healing of the brain by monitoring its perfusion and activity. We can also monitor behaviors, response to stimuli (sensory function) and motor skills. Monitoring of cerebral brain flow can be done with a Brain SPECT (Single Photo Emission Computed Tomography) scan. SPECT scans before and after 40 sessions of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (MHBOT) have shown dramatic improvements in cerebral brain flow that is sustained over time. In addition, three recent small studies conducted independently at three different centers showed significant improvement in behavior ratings scales with mild hyperbaric therapy. This would seem to correlate with the improved cerebral brain flow that has already been documented. These results will need larger studies and ongoing research but initial findings are very promising.
In addition to impacting cerebral brain flow in injured brains, lower pressure hyperbaric therapy has been shown to positively impact natural killer cell function and thus, immune function. It has also been found to be of benefit in inflammatory conditions and has facilitated improvement in gut disease such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. MHBOT has been shown to increase glutathione levels by 15% for at least 24 hours after therapy in previous studies. These areas are all of interest for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as they are often impaired in their children.
One question that has not yet been answered is the endpoint for mild hyperbaric therapy. Families continue to report significant improvement with many more than 40 sessions. The ability, with a chamber approved for use at home by the FDA, to safely continue daily therapy at home is potentially of tremendous value to families involved in multiple hours of therapy and time out of the home on a daily basis. To be able to use a valuable tool before school or after dinner facilitates family life for those able to purchase a chamber for their children.
That being said, a family should consider initial therapy in a clinical setting. It is important that the child and the family become comfortable with the use of the equipment, the process of "clearing" the ears, and the maintenance of the chamber. Most importantly, habituating an ASD child to the chamber and the therapy process is probably best initiated with the assistance of experienced professionals. In addition, witnessing some benefit prior to making a significant purchase is a good idea. Our experience has shown, however, that after 10 to 20 sessions in an office setting, most families can achieve a level of comfort that allows them to successfully operate a mild hyperbaric chamber in the home. Families of children with ASD are often well versed in extensive research and independent function with medical therapies.
Opportunities for healing in the home setting where a family can function as a unit are few and far between in the world of ASD. A therapy that appears to be of value to the vast majority of children is similarly rare. Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy appears to be both. Ongoing research will help to explain with greater precision how exactly MHBOT improves the health and well being of our children. The anecdotal reports from parents of significant improvement are being borne out by SPECT scans and behavioral ratings scales. We appear to have a significant addition to the tool box used in recovering our children.
doi: 10.1588/medver.2005.02.00085
Some final words:
Biomedical treatment and care should be PART of your intervention plan for a child with autism. In addition to biomedical intervention please consider one on one behavioral intervention including but not limited to: ABA, VBA, Speech, OT, play skills, Social skills. Click here for additional information on THERAPY OPTIONS. Both a biomedical intervention AND BEHAVIORAL therapy plan are part of a total solution for your child.
Disclaimer: Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) provides general information of interest to the autism community. The information comes from a variety of sources, and TACA does not independently verify any of it. The views expressed herein are not necessarily TACA's . Nothing in this document should be construed as medical advice. Always consult your child's doctor regarding his or her individual needs.
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