A Review of the Application of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease

Article type: Review Article

Authors: Somaa, Fahad^{; *}

Affiliations: Occupational Therapy Department, Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Fahad Somaa, Assistant Professor, King Abdulaziz University, Occupational Therapy Department, Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, King AbdulAziz University, P.O. Box: 80324, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia. Tel.: +966500570777; E-mail: fsomaa6549@gmail.com.

Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is considered as the most common cause of dementia in elderly population. While the exact mechanism of AD has not been discovered, hyperbolic oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been proven to be effective in the treatment of this degenerative disease. The objectives of this article are to review the literature available on molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying HBOT and its efficacy in treating AD and to review the effectiveness of HBOT as an alternate treatment intervention in both human and animal models. 391 full text articles were included in the review after literature search between 1980–2021 from two online data base (ScienceDirect and PubMed). The following key words were used: ‘hyperbaric oxygen therapy’ and ‘Alzheimer disease.’ Based on the outcomes of clinical and experimental studies, this review advocates the use of HBOT for the treatment of AD. This review explores future directions and recommends further research into a treatment protocol that will maintain long-term cognitive health of AD patients.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, hypoxia, neurodegenerative disorders, reactive oxygen stress

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-210157

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 81, no. 4, pp. 1361-1367, 2021