Under certain conditions, glutamate has a toxic action resulting from an activation of specific glutamate receptors, which leads to acute or chronic death of nerve cells.
Numerous in vivo and in vitro studies confirm that HBOT induces neurogenesis
HIF-1α is the principal mediator of cellular hypoxia adaptations
activated by hypoxia, HIF-1α causes the transcription of its regulated downstream genes, including erythropoietin (EPO) and VEGF which are known to promote neurogenesis
The safety of HBOT was also evaluated and it was pointed out that, if given at proper paradigms, like 1.5 ATA for 60 minutes, HBOT will not cause oxygen toxicity
Rockswold et al., on the other hand, found that HBOT might be potentially beneficial for severe TBI patients
McDonagh et al., concluded that there was insufficient evidence to establish the effectiveness of HBOT in the treatment of TBI
The first multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in 2009 found that 40-hour HBOT of 24% oxygen at 1.3 ATM produced significant improvement in children's overall functioning, receptive language, social interaction, eye contact, and sensory/cognitive awareness compared to those received slightly pressurized room air
Another study in 2010 on 16 autism patients, adopting a similar treatment paradigm, showed no effect on a wide array of behavioral evaluations
To date, there is little evidence that HBOT causes malignant growth or metastasis. A history of malignancy should therefore not be considered as a contraindication for HBOT
HBOT enhances the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and causes oxidative stress in body tissues
Excessive accumulation of oxidative stress may contribute to neurodegenerative processes and cell death in the brain, as seen in diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD)
Hormesis
process that results in a functional improvement of cellular stress resistance, survival, and longevity in response to sub-lethal levels of stress
Fantastic review of oxidative damage and the CNS. This is a 2006 review of our understanding of how neurodegeneration occurs through oxidative stress and of course poor detoxification.
short and brief discussion of how microglial inflammation cause neurodegeneration via excitotoxicity. Dr. Blaylock is the author of this short article.