What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a longitudinal follow-up study to evaluate the long-term clinical symptoms of veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD who had previously undergone hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
What They Found
Among 22 participating veterans, the mean CAPS-5 score was significantly lower at long-term follow-up (26.6) compared to pre-HBOT evaluation (47.5, P < .001), approximately 704 days post-treatment. This long-term score was not statistically different from the short-term evaluation (28.6), though the CAPS-5 subcategory D for cognition and mood symptoms showed significant improvement from short-term (10.0) to long-term (7.6, P < .001).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with treatment-resistant PTSD might experience sustained symptom improvement from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, potentially offering a new therapeutic avenue. This could lead to better long-term management of PTSD symptoms, particularly those related to cognition and mood, improving overall quality of life.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada, nor did it involve Canadian participants or researchers.
Study Limitations
A key limitation is the small sample size of 22 participants and the potential for selection bias due to participant attrition from the original study.