Meta-Analysis PLoS ONE 2021

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Huang H, Xue L, Zhang X, et al. — PLoS ONE, 2021

View Original on PubMed PMID 33935063

Tier 1, Curated

Manually reviewed and included in the Canada Hyperbarics research database.

Summary

What Researchers Did

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomised controlled trials involving 875 participants to evaluate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on motor function, sensory function, and psychology in patients with spinal cord injury.

What They Found

The meta-analysis of 11 studies with 875 participants found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly improved the ASIA motor score (mean difference 15.84, 95% CI 9.04 to 22.64). It also statistically promoted the ASIA sensory score (mean difference 66.30, 95% CI 53.44 to 79.16).

Canadian Relevance

This study does not have a direct Canadian connection.

Study Limitations

A significant limitation of this meta-analysis was the high heterogeneity observed across the included studies for both motor (I2=87%) and sensory (I2=95%) outcomes.

This plain-language summary is generated with AI assistance and checked against the source abstract before publication. See our editorial policy.

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Study Details

Study Type	Meta-Analysis
Category	Neurological
Source	Pubmed
PubMed ID	33935063
Year Published	2021
Journal	PLoS ONE

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Last reviewed: March 19, 2026 | Reviewed by: Canada Hyperbarics Editorial Team | Editorial process | Research sources | Counts & methodology