What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial with 71 participants to evaluate the effect of 40 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen versus sham on eye tracker outcomes in individuals with persistent post-concussive symptoms.
What They Found
At baseline, two smooth pursuit tasks and four saccadic tasks differentiated the 71 participants with post-concussive symptoms from 75 healthy controls. However, changes from baseline in eye tracker measures for participants receiving hyperbaric oxygen did not significantly differ from those receiving sham at 13 weeks and six months post-randomization.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with persistent post-concussive symptoms should be aware that this study found no significant benefit of hyperbaric oxygen therapy over sham in improving eye movement metrics. Therefore, current evidence does not support the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy specifically for improving eye tracker outcomes in this patient population.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's findings are limited to eye tracker outcomes and may not fully capture the broader spectrum of persistent post-concussive symptoms.