Bispectral index with density spectral array (BIS-DSA) monitoring in a patient with inner ear and cerebral decompression sickness

What Researchers Did

Doctors used a brain monitoring device (bispectral index with density spectral array, or BIS-DSA) during HBOT sessions to track brain activity in a patient with both inner ear and cerebral decompression sickness after a diving accident.

What They Found

During the first HBOT treatment, a distinctive abnormal brain activity pattern appeared on the BIS-DSA monitor, consistent with reduced blood flow to the outer brain (cortex). This pattern resolved after four HBOT treatments, coinciding with improvement in the patient's clinical symptoms.

Canadian Relevance

Decompression sickness is an OHIP-covered indication for HBOT in Ontario. Canadian divers who develop neurological decompression sickness may qualify for publicly funded emergency HBOT treatment.

Study Limitations

This is a single case report; BIS-DSA monitoring has not been validated in larger groups of DCS patients, and the pattern observed may not appear consistently across all patients.