One of the most studied factors of Alzheimer’s disease is related to the build-up of beta-amyloid proteins (plaques) in the brain . Recent findings from Scientists in Israel have shown that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can stop new plaques from forming and even remove existing plaques in mice with Alzheimer’s.

The scientists, from the University of Tel Aviv, treated 15 6-month-old mice (equivalent to a 30-year-old human) with HBOT for an hour a day, five days a week for four weeks. Not only did the number and size of plaques in the brains of the mice reduce, it also slowed the reduction of new plaques, compared to the mice who did not receive HBOT in the control group. 

Another phenomenon seen in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease is a reduction of blood flow to the brain. The same study showed an increased blood flow to the brain in the mice upon receiving HBOT, which in turns also helps with the clearance of plaques from the brain, and reduces inflammation – a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

By improving blood flow to the brain, reducing plaque levels and reducing hypoxia, the mice undergoing daily HBOT began to show improvements to their cognitive abilities, such as their spatial recognition memory as well as contextual memory – the ability to remember emotional, social, spatial or temporal circumstances related to an event. In which these results have been found evident in humans.