Improvement of attention span and reaction time with hyperbaric oxygen treatment in patients with toxic injury due to mold exposure

Abstract

It is, by now, well established that mold toxins (mycotoxins) can cause significant adverse health effects. In this study, 15 subjects who developed an attention deficit disorder (ADD) and slowing of reaction time at the time of exposure to mold toxins were identified. Deficits in attention span and reaction time were documented not only by taking a careful history, but also by performing a Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA). The TOVA test provides an objective measure of these two variables. It was found that mold-exposed subjects show statistically significant decreases in attention span and significant increases in reaction time to stimuli compared to controls. After ten sessions of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT), a statistically significant improvement was seen in both measures. This preliminary study suggests promising outcomes in treating mold-exposed patients with hyperbaric oxygen.

Nasopharyngeal Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Children in the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Era

“…However, the nasopharyngeal microbiota of vaccinated individuals and their close contacts have been reportedly altered in response to PCV introduction [ 27 , 28 ]. Given the antagonism between S. aureus and S. pneumoniae , there are concerns that S. aureus could potentially replace S. pneumoniae vaccine serotypes and emerge as the dominant colonizer of the nasopharynx as coverage of PCVs increases [ 6 , 7 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. This raises legitimate concerns, as S. aureus is frequently implicated in respiratory tract infections, and its presence in the nasopharynx significantly predicts subsequent invasive infections [ 31 , 32 ].…”

“…Little attention seems to have been given to the occurrence of the pathogen in the nasopharynx, and how vaccination with PCVs influences that. The few studies that have evaluated the dynamics of the pathogen in relation to the introduction of PCVs appear to have emanated from developed countries [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. Moreover, it is unknown how the introduction of PCVs has influenced the genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance patterns of S. aureus .…”

COVID-19 associated mucormycosis: evolving technologies for early and rapid diagnosis

“…In-vitro studies have shown antifungal activity of HBOT at pressures <10 atm (Gudewicz et al 1987 ; Galiazzo et al 1987 ). There are several reports highlighting the direct antifungal effect of hyperbaric oxygen under hyper-oxic conditions due to increased production of oxygen based free radicals (Couch et al 1988 ; Ferguson et al 1988 ; Arnáiz-García et al 2009 ; Ezra et al 2011 ; Valente Aguiar et al 2021 ). Additionally, HBOT have several indirect antimicrobial effects which includes restoration of phagocytosis, reversal of lactic acidosis, enhanced oxidative burst of PMLs and augmented antifungal action of amphotericin B (Siddiqui et al 1997 ; John et al 2005 ; Mathieu and Wattel 2006 ; Bitterman 2007 ; Tragiannidis and Groll 2009 ).…”

Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome effectively treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

“…This factor is very important when researching protocols to utilize for specific diseases. There are very few validated studies on viral encephalopathies as the primary indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy; there is a plethora of information and studies on traumatic brain injury, wound healing and even cancer modulation [2,8,10,13,26]. However, the symptoms of viral encephalopathy can and do overlap with the symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury including cognitive and behavioral/emotional symptoms.…”