What Researchers Did
Researchers tested whether adding hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) sessions to standard care would help military service members whose symptoms had persisted for at least 4 months after a mild traumatic brain injury.
What They Found
This double-blind, sham-controlled randomized trial of 72 service members found no difference between groups in the primary symptom outcome: 25% of the no-intervention group, 52% of the HBO group, and 33% of the sham group improved by at least 2 points on the RPQ-3 symptom scale. Participants had experienced an average of 3 lifetime mild traumatic brain injuries, with the most recent occurring 23 months before enrollment. Because the sham group also showed improvement and the study reports no significant difference between the three groups, the results do not show that HBO produced a distinct benefit over sham treatment.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified. The trial enrolled US military service members at hospitals in Colorado, North Carolina, California, and Georgia.
Study Limitations
The trial's small size (72 participants split across three groups) limits its ability to detect real differences between HBO, sham, and no-intervention outcomes.