What Researchers Did
A retrospective quasi-experimental trial assessed the association between hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and changes in verbal scores in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
What They Found
Sixty-five children with ASD were included, 32 of whom received HBOT. The 23 children who received HBOT and were assessed with VBMAPP showed substantial mean differences in verbal scores, suggesting an improvement compared to the control group.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
If further research confirms these findings, hyperbaric oxygen therapy could potentially be considered as an adjunctive treatment to improve verbal skills in Canadian children with autism spectrum disorder. However, families should discuss any new therapies with their healthcare providers.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and does not have direct Canadian relevance.
Study Limitations
As a retrospective, quasi-experimental trial, this study is limited by its design, which may introduce biases and limit the generalizability of the findings.