What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomised controlled trial involving 63 healthy adults over 64 years old, assigning them to either hyperbaric oxygen therapy or a control group for three months to assess cognitive function and cerebral blood flow.
What They Found
They found a significant improvement in global cognitive function in the hyperbaric oxygen therapy group compared to the control group (p=0.0017). Specifically, attention (net effect size=0.745) and information processing speed (net effect size=0.788) showed the most striking enhancements, accompanied by increased cerebral blood flow in specific brain regions.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada nor involved Canadian researchers or participants.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its relatively small sample size of 63 participants and the absence of long-term follow-up to assess the durability of cognitive improvements.