The Cerebral Palsy Network

Kevin Barrett, M.D., F.A.C.P. - Professor of Hyperbaric Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
Abstract

Authors: Kevin F. Barrett MD, Kevan P. Corson CHt, Jon T. Mader MD

Title: Pediatric cerebral palsy treated by 1. 5 ATA hyperbaric oxygen - a pilot study.

Objective: To determine if 1. 5 ATA hyperbaric oxygen therapy can ameliorate the neurologic deficits associated with pediatric cerebral palsy.

Background: Numerous anecdotal reports attest to the amelioration of neurologic
deficits in a variety of chronic cerebral insults including cerebral palsy. Improvement is
Attributed to the metabolic up regulation through improved local cerebral blood flow in a
residual chronic Ischemic penumbra.

Methods: Five children, average age 41.8 months, were treated with 1.5 ATA liyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for a total of sixty treatments administered for one hour daily, five days a week. A modified test of gross motor and fine motor function I GMFM-M) and a modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale were employed before and after liyperbaric therapy.
One patient with cortical blindness was assessed with visual evoked potentials before and -ifter HBOT. One patient dropped out of the study before completion. Information was obtained on only four patients.

Results: Modest decreases in spasticity and improvements in the modified GMFM ,;cores for all patients completing the study. Cortical visual evoked potentials, which ,were absent before therapy in one patient were measurable after HBOT.

Conclusion: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy effected improvements in tests of gross motor ,and fine motor function and decreased spasticity as measured by a modified Ashworth spasticity score's patients with chronic cerebral palsy. Functional reorganization in the visual cortex is suggested by the reappearance of visual evoked potentials.

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Last updated 03/24/03

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