Hyperbaric Chamber May Aid in Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury | Seattle Lawyer

According to a recent article in the USA Today, the US Army is looking into a potentially revolutionary way of treating a Traumatic Brain Injury: the Hyperbaric Chamber.

The Defense Department hopes to find a better treatment for the 100,000 troops who have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury since 2003. The new clinical trial which is expected to begin in January 2011 and help 300 participants, is expected to last nearly 18 months. The majority of those participating is soldiers and Marines.

Individuals getting the experimental treatment will breathe 100% oxygen while inside the hyperbaric chamber at 1.35 atmospheres of pressure, which is the equivalent of about the same amount of pressure you would feel if you were 20 to 25 feet below water. The theory is that the pressure created by the chamber causes oxygen in the blood to dissolve, allowing more oxygen to flow through the body and repair damaged tissue. The hope the
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The five sites that will being participating in the study: Fort Carson, CO.; Camp Pendleton, CA.; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Brooks City-Base, TX; and possibly Fort Hood, Texas, although negotiations are still ongoing there, Ricciardi said.