ArticleBMC pediatrics2007
The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on oxidative stress, inflammation, and symptoms in children with autism: an open-label pilot study.
Article in BMC pediatrics, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00324909 (Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Clinical Symptoms and Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Autistic Children), which is not on this map. Cited by 38 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Clinical Symptoms and Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Autistic Children: A Pilot Study
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 109 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Cognitive Functions: a Systematic Review.Neuropsychology review · 2022Pooled it
- The Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygenation on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Angiogenesis.Biomolecules · 2021Pooled it
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Effect of normobaric and hyperbaric hyperoxia treatment on symptoms and cognitive capacities in Long COVID patients: a randomised placebo-controlled, prospective, double-blind trial.Diving and hyperbaric medicine · 2025Trial
- Brief report: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in children with autism spectrum disorder: a clinical trial.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2012Trial
- Hyperbaric treatment for children with autism: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.BMC pediatrics · 2009Trial
- The Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Neuroregeneration and Neuroprotection: A Review.Cureus · 2024Review
- Oxygen and the Spark of Human Brain Evolution: Complex Interactions of Metabolism and Cortical Expansion across Development and Evolution.The Neuroscientist : a review journal bringing neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry · 2024Article
- A Descriptive Study on the Impacts of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Autistic Individuals Using Parent Testimonies.Cureus · 2024Article
- Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on autistic behaviors andFrontiers in neuroscience · 2024Article
- Article
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Alleviates Social Behavior Dysfunction and Neuroinflammation in a Mouse Model for Autism Spectrum Disorders.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
- Molecular and Therapeutic Aspects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Neurological Conditions.Biomolecules · 2020Review
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Ameliorates Hearing Loss and Auditory Cortex Injury in Noise Exposed Mice by Repressing Local Ceramide Accumulation.International journal of molecular sciences · 2019Article
- Where is the Evidence? A Narrative Literature Review of the Treatment Modalities for Autism Spectrum Disorders.Cureus · 2019Review
- Effects of Ovariohysterectomy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Systemic Inflammation and Oxidation in Dogs.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2019Article
- Early Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen on Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity/Expression in Lymphocytes of Type 1 Diabetes Patients: A Prospective Pilot Study.International journal of endocrinology · 2019Article
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces astrogliosis and helps to recovery brain damage in hydrocephalic young rats.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2018Article
- Acute Hyperbaric Oxygenation, Contrary to Intermittent Hyperbaric Oxygenation, Adversely Affects Vasorelaxation in Healthy Sprague-Dawley Rats due to Increased Oxidative Stress.Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2018Article
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecently, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has increased in popularity as a treatment for autism. Numerous studies document oxidative stress and inflammation in individuals with autism; both of these conditions have demonstrated improvement with HBOT, along with enhancement of neurological function and cognitive performance. In this study, children with autism were treated with HBOT at atmospheric pressures and oxygen concentrations in current use for this condition. Changes in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were measured. The children were evaluated to determine clinical effects and safety.
methodsEighteen children with autism, ages 3-16 years, underwent 40 hyperbaric sessions of 45 minutes duration each at either 1.5 atmospheres (atm) and 100% oxygen, or at 1.3 atm and 24% oxygen. Measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP) and markers of oxidative stress, including plasma oxidized glutathione (GSSG), were assessed by fasting blood draws collected before and after the 40 treatments. Changes in clinical symptoms, as rated by parents, were also assessed. The children were closely monitored for potential adverse effects.
resultsAt the endpoint of 40 hyperbaric sessions, neither group demonstrated statistically significant changes in mean plasma GSSG levels, indicating intracellular oxidative stress appears unaffected by either regimen. A trend towards improvement in mean CRP was present in both groups; the largest improvements were observed in children with initially higher elevations in CRP. When all 18 children were pooled, a significant improvement in CRP was found (p = 0.021). Pre- and post-parental observations indicated statistically significant improvements in both groups, including motivation, speech, and cognitive awareness (p < 0.05). No major adverse events were observed.
conclusionIn this prospective pilot study of children with autism, HBOT at a maximum pressure of 1.5 atm with up to 100% oxygen was safe and well tolerated. HBOT did not appreciably worsen oxidative stress and significantly decreased inflammation as measured by CRP levels. Parental observations support anecdotal accounts of improvement in several domains of autism. However, since this was an open-label study, definitive statements regarding the efficacy of HBOT for the treatment of individuals with autism must await results from double-blind, controlled trials.
trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov NCT00324909.
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