Abstract
Eighty four patients with multiple sclerosis were treated in monoplace chambers with either hyperbaric oxygen at 2 atmospheres absolute or placebo. Comprehensive double blind assessment was carried out before, immediately after, and one month after treatment. There was no clinically important or significant benefit in any of the four major criteria of outcome--namely, the patient's subjective opinion, the examiner's opinion, the score on the Kurtzke disability status scale, or the time taken to walk 50 m. Out of 40 other clinical variables assessed, two (the sensory scale and timed writing with the left hand) showed a significant improvement without any subjective clinical correlate or change in any of seven other tests of left hand function. No group of symptoms was perceived by the patients as having improved more after treatment with hyperbaric oxygen than placebo. It is concluded that there is no basis for recommending hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Barnes M. P., Bates D., Cartlidge N. E., French J. M., Shaw D. A. Hyperbaric oxygen and multiple sclerosis: short-term results of a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Lancet. 1985 Feb 9;1(8424):297–300. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)91079-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Boschetty V., Cernoch J. Aplikace kyslíku za pretlaku u nekterých neurologických onemocnení. (Predbezné sdelení) Bratisl Lek Listy. 1970 Mar;53(3):298–302. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jones R. F., Unsworth I. P., Marosszeky J. E. Hyperbaric oxygen and acute spinal cord injuries in humans. Med J Aust. 1978 Dec 2;2(12):573–575. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1978.tb131741.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kelly D. L., Jr, Lassiter K. R., Vongsvivut A., Smith J. M. Effects of hyperbaric oxygenation and tissue oxygen studies in experimental paraplegia. J Neurosurg. 1972 Apr;36(4):425–429. doi: 10.3171/jns.1972.36.4.0425. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Neubauer R. A. Exposure of multiple sclerosis patients to hyperbaric oxygen at 1.5--2 ATA. A preliminary report. J Fla Med Assoc. 1980 May;67(5):498–504. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Warren J., Sacksteder M. R., Thuning C. A. Oxygen immunosuppression: modification of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in rodents. J Immunol. 1978 Jul;121(1):315–320. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yeo J. D., Lowry C., McKenzie B. Preliminary report on ten patients with spinal cord injuries treated with hyperbaric oxygen. Med J Aust. 1978 Dec 2;2(12):572–573. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1978.tb131740.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]