Half of the 18 IDF veterans in the study made such good progress that it was no longer considered PTSD at the end of a 60-session study in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
Occupational therapy can significantly reduce post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the first Israeli study worldwide veterans of the Israeli defense force, in which part of the study made such good progress that it was no longer considered PTSD.
A study led by the University of Tel Aviv, based on the use of hyperbaric oxygen chambers by 18 IDF veterans with post-trauma, was published Tuesday in a peer-reviewed journal PlosOne.
Hyperbaric oxygen is currently not used in any major treatment for PTSD, and the scientists who conducted the study said that it could open up a whole new way to help people who are fighting the disease.
We started in this study to treat PTSD in a way that seeks to make real changes in the brain, ”Dr. Keren Doenyas-Barak, who is part of the research team, told The Times of Israel.
“This approach does not depend on the tools of the mind. It is natural, not psychological, so it represents something new. ”
Doenyas-Barak said the impact of oxygen treatment was judged by both standardized diagnostic tests, and brain tests, and both showed strong improvement. According to the diagnostic criteria, by the end of the treatment study, half of those treated were no longer considered PTSD, he added.
The treatment is thought to work by increasing the plasticity of the brain, which makes the wounds of the brain tissue heal.
PTSD is started by experiencing a traumatic event that cannot be fully addressed, leaving parts of the brain in a state of extreme irritability and damaging its elasticity.
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“Today we understand that PTSD-resistant treatment is caused by a biological lesion in the brain tissue, which impedes mental and psychiatric treatment efforts,” said Prof. Shai Efrati, who led the research.
He said that oxygen therapy “activates and multiplies stem cells, as well as the production of new blood vessels and increases brain function, ultimately restoring the function of damaged tissue.”
The Euphrates research team spent years exploring the healing properties of the compressed chamber – or hyperbaric -, breathing fresh air for some time. He works at the University of Tel Aviv and manages the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center, and his team includes institutions.
In a recent study recruited 35 Israeli military veterans, all of whom were suffering from PTSD-resistant to both psychiatric and psychotherapy.
They are divided into two groups. Veterans in both groups continued their general psychiatric treatment, but one group of 18 veterans also had a 60-hour study in a hyperbaric room. They were conducted daily, five days a week.
Symptoms based on symptoms remained the same between the control group, while in the group receiving oxygen treatment, symptoms decreased significantly, so that half of the participants could no longer be considered PTSD.
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And according to the Euphrates, later in the hyperbaric chamber, there is an increase in brain activity in the frontal lobe, the region responsible for regulating emotions and management functions, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory functions. .
Efrati said the study could also help develop “objective” diagnostic tools for those suffering from PTSD.
“We are currently conducting ongoing research to identify the biological fingers of PTSD, which may eventually allow for the development of new objective diagnostic tools,” he said.
Professor Hermona Soreq, a professor of Molecular Neuroscience at Hebrew University, who was not involved in the study, told the Times of Israel that he thought the findings should be taken seriously. “This may be the beginning of a new promise, which requires special attention,” he said, while emphasizing the new release “is a preliminary study with a small sample.”
Soreq added: “PTSD is a growing problem in many communities, including Israel and it causes long-term physical damage to the human brain, highlighting the need for new therapies.”
The treatment of Israeli veterans with PTSD came to prominence last year, after a long-serving IDF veteran who was struggling to get help from the Department of Defense set himself on fire outside their Petah Tikva offices.
A veteran, Itzik Saidyan, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following his service in the 2014 Gaza war.
“Developing a novel therapeutic approach is very important, especially if it provides long-term safety and significant long-term impact,” adds Soreq.