What Researchers Did
This review article examined the history, rationale, mechanisms, and study results of oxygen therapy, including hyperbaric and normobaric oxygen, for ischaemic stroke.
What They Found
While hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) failed to show efficacy in three clinical trials, possibly due to delayed initiation, inadequate sample size, or excessive pressures, normobaric oxygen therapy (NBO) may also be effective if started promptly. The review suggests that oxygen therapy could still be a powerful neuroprotective strategy to extend the treatment window for acute stroke, especially if applied within the first few hours or in patients with imaging evidence of salvageable brain tissue.
Canadian Relevance
This review article has no direct Canadian connection, as it does not involve Canadian researchers, institutions, or patient populations.
Study Limitations
As a review article, this study's findings are limited by the quality and scope of the existing animal and human studies it synthesized, and it does not present new experimental data.