Article

The effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) on eye movement abnormalities in 60
military servicemembers with at least one mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) from
combat were examined in a single-center, randomized, double-blind,
sham-controlled, prospective study at the Naval Medicine Operational Training
Center. During the 10 wk of the study, each subject was delivered a series of 40,
once a day, hyperbaric chamber compressions at a pressure of 2.0 atmospheres
absolute (ATA). At each session, subjects breathed one of three preassigned
oxygen fractions (10.5%, 75%, or 100%) for 1 h, resulting in an oxygen exposure
equivalent to breathing either surface air, 100% oxygen at 1.5 ATA, or 100%
oxygen at 2.0 ATA, respectively. Using a standardized, validated, computerized
eye tracking protocol, fixation, saccades, and smooth pursuit eye movements were
measured just prior to intervention and immediately postintervention. Between and
within groups testing of pre- and postintervention means revealed no significant
differences on eye movement abnormalities and no significant main effect for HBO2
at either 1.5 ATA or 2.0 ATA equivalent compared with the sham-control. This
study demonstrated that neither 1.5 nor 2.0 ATA equivalent HBO2 had an effect on
postconcussive eye movement abnormalities after mild TBI when compared with a
sham-control.

Langue : ANGLAIS