What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study to investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy at different oxygen fractions on eye movement abnormalities in 60 military servicemembers with mild traumatic brain injury.
What They Found
The study found no significant differences in eye movement abnormalities between groups or within groups after hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Specifically, neither 1.5 nor 2.0 ATA equivalent HBO2 showed a significant effect on post-concussive eye movement abnormalities in the 60 participants compared to the sham-control.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with mild traumatic brain injury experiencing eye movement abnormalities should be aware that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may not improve these symptoms. Current evidence suggests that this treatment, at the tested pressures, does not offer a benefit for post-concussive eye tracking issues.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in the United States and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study was conducted at a single center with a specific population of military servicemembers, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to broader patient populations.