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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy benefits for mild cognitive impairment

According to the Mayo Clinic, mild cognitive impairment (or MCI) is the “stage between the expected cognitive decline” normally caused by aging and a more serious decline due to diseases like dementia. While there is no singular treatment for mild cognitive impairment, there are various ways that one could help improve mental function. One suggestion is to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy – which involves breathing 100% pure oxygen either in a pressurized room (particularly, a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber) or through a breathing tube.

This treatment is well known to help those who suffer from decompression sickness, a common issue that effects scuba divers – when they return to the surface too quickly that their body is unable to properly adjust to the change in atmospheric pressure. But there are plenty of research that shows that the benefits of this therapy can help in other aspects as well.

Here are some hyperbaric oxygen therapy benefits:

1. Promotes healing

Oxygen is important for body tissue function, even more so when there is injury in which case the body needs more oxygen in order to heal itself properly. During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, your lungs are given the opportunity to inhale more oxygen than you would normally breathe in, up to three times more. This then allows more oxygen to circulate throughout your body, which in turn promotes tissue healing or tissue regeneration.

2. Improves neurological function

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to improve brain function in stroke victims and those who have suffered traumatic brain injury due to an accident. Some researchers have found that the therapy had reduced hypoxia (low levels of oxygen in body tissue) and neuroinflammation (chronic inflammation of the nervous system).

3. Reduces risk of brain injury

Cognitive decline becomes a greater risk when there is injury to the brain (like stroke) and/or a reduction in blood flow to the brain. On top of improving neurological function, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can reduce risks associated with brain injury by detoxification. Studies looking into treatment of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning had found that this type of therapy can reduce the risk of brain injury as well as nerve damage.

4. Increases immunity

Oxygen is the key to healing, including fighting off infections. Some institutions even recommend this therapy for radiation injuries which can be caused by chemotherapy. Since hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the oxygen flow to the lungs by up to three-times the normal amount, the increased oxygen supply in the blood stream is believed to strengthen body immunity.

Is it for you?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is shown to be beneficial for the treatment of various ailments, injuries and may even help improve symptoms of mild cognitive impairment. However. regardless of the benefits provided above, it is important that you talk to your healthcare professional to find out if hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the right thing for your needs and seek personalized treatment options from them. In the meantime, you can reduce the risks of mild cognitive impairments right now by simply keeping your mind fit and active with the various brain fitness programs available out there.

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What is stem cells rejuvenation?

One of the most exciting areas of medical advancement in the 21st Century is stem cells rejuvenation which promises the arrest of certain degenerative diseases and relief of the symptoms of others.

Stem cells can separate into many different cell types and thereby stimulate cell rejuvenation of damaged or diseased cells. Chronic and degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular disease, Crohn’s, chronic pain and degenerative joints can all be helped by stem cells rejuvenation. Stem Cells also have the potential to increase the longevity of youth by slowing down the ageing process.

Stem cell therapy is when stem cells are transferred into the body to treat or prevent a disease or condition. The most widely used method of doing this is through a bone marrow transplant. For well over 30 years stem cell rejuvenation has been used to treat people with leukaemia and lymphoma. Growing cells are killed by chemotherapy and stem cell rejuvenation reintroduces healthy and functional stem cells to replace these cells or generate new ones. The new stem cells can also generate an immune response that helps kill cancer cells.

Here are some examples of stem cell rejuvenation therapies currently in use.

• Prochymal is a stem-cell therapy that has been conditionally approved in Canada to help children suffering from the acute graft-vs-host disease who are unresponsive to steroids.

• Five hematopoietic stem-cell products that come from umbilical cord blood have been approved by the FDA to treat blood and immunological diseases.

• Limbal stem cell treatment has been recommended by the European Medicines Agency to treat people who have severe limbal stem cell deficiency.

Stem cell rejuvenation tests are being conducted for diseases where there is brain degeneration like Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Alzheimer's. There have also been preliminary studies related to cell rejuvenation as a treatment for multiple sclerosis.

Using stem cells for brain rejuvenation after a stroke or a traumatic brain injury is a very real possibility based on the results of clinical tests that have been done. This would indicate that stem cell rejuvenation could be life-changing for people with spinal cord injuries.

This is also very good news for those who are worried about ageing too quickly or who suffer from the physical effects of ageing. Particularly the effects on our brains. As we grow older, it becomes harder to learn new things. We suffer varying degrees of memory loss as our brains, like the rest of our bodies, stiffen up.

Scientists at the Center for Regenerative Therapies of TU Dresden (CRTD) ran tests to see if increasing the number of stem cells in the brain would help in brain rejuvenation and recover cognitive functions that deteriorate during ageing. They discovered it most certainly did. Old mice with more stem cells recovered their ability to navigate and remember it for longer times like younger mice. They were surprised to observe that stem cells rejuvenation in younger mice the impairment of cognitive and memory functions was delayed over the whole course of the mice’s natural life.

Stem cells rejuvenation is a procedure that could change the lives of millions of people enabling them to recover from injuries or suffer less from diseases than ever before. It could also make the ageing process less painful and frustrating.

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What are dementia treatments of 2020

People often confuse dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This is largely due to the fact that almost 50% of dementia cases are people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Dementia is not a disease but a syndrome. A syndrome is a group of symptoms, affecting mental cognitive tasks in this instance, for which there is no definitive diagnosis.

As dementia progresses and the ability to function independently reduces, it has a huge impact on the person affected as well as on families and caregivers. There are 47.5 million people across the world with dementia so you can imagine how many people are affected by this syndrome.

There are five main types of dementia: Alzheimer’s, Lewy Bodies Dementia, Vascular Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia and Mixed Dementia. When people have multiple conditions that may be contributing to the dementia it is called Mixed Dementia.

Although treating dementia is challenging because it has many forms and causes, a lot of progress has recently been made in dementia research and funding to accelerate research is also, thankfully, increasing.

Medications

• Cholinesterase inhibitors like donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine (Razadyne) boost the levels of a chemical messenger that is involved in memory and judgment. Primarily used to treat Alzheimer's disease, these medications are also used in the treatment of other types of dementia as well.

• Memantine (Namenda) regulates the activity of glutamate which is another chemical messenger involved in the learning and memory functions of the brain. Mematine is often presecribed in conjunction with a cholinesterase inhibitor.

• Other medications may be prescribed to treat specific symptoms like insomnia, agitation, depression and parkinsonism.

Therapies

There are several dementia symptoms that can be treated with therapy before having to resort to medication.

• Occupational therapy can prepare you for the progressions of the dementia and teach you coping behaviours to prevent accidents, such as falls.

• Modifying the home environment by simplifying it and decluttering it will make it easier for someone with dementia to focus and function. A monitoring system is a good idea so you can be alerted when the person with dementia wanders, which they will.

• Break daily tasks into small steps and focus on success of each step. Structure and routine are essential and help reduce confusion.

Clinical trials

Find out about clinical trials where new treatments of dementia and interventions are tested in order to prevent, detect, treat or manage this disease.

Lifestyle and home remedies

These are probably the most important aspects of treatment of dementia and will be increasingly important as symptoms worsen.

• Communicate carefully when talking to the person. Maintain eye-contact, speak slowly in simple sentences, use gestures and objects. Don’t rush any response from them and be prepared to repeat what you have said, several times.

• Exercise daily to improve strength, balance and cardiovascular health. Exercise is also useful for dealing with restlessness and depression which are very common symptoms.

• Plan activities that the person with dementia enjoys and is able to do. From listening to music, to dancing, singing, painting or pottering in the garden. This helps you connect with the person as well as lifting their spirits.

• Night-time rituals are essential as behaviour generally deteriorates at night. After the person has eaten take them to quietly prepare for bed away from the activities of others. Leave night lights on at various points in order to prevent disorientation should they wake up in the middle of the night.

• A well-balanced diet plays a vital role in dementia treatment. Stimulants like coffee and sugar should be avoided and whilst some dietary supplements can be helpful you should always check with your doctor to avoid any adverse effects they may have if used in conjunction with the medication the person is taking.

There is no single dementia treatment and it cannot be cured. Generally, any known underlying causes are treated and then the symptoms are treated. Knowledge about dementia is key to managing it and can make a big difference to the extent to which it affects the lives of people suffering from it or taking care of them.