HBOT and NeuroTrax: Unlocking Neuroplasticity in Post-Stroke Recovery

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, often leaving patients with persistent physical and cognitive impairments. Yet new evidence shows that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can help restore function even long after the initial injury. A recent case study demonstrates how HBOT enabled remarkable recovery in a 45-year-old post-stroke patient, including improvement in cognitive function documented by NeuroTrax digital testing.

The patient, 15 months post-hemorrhagic stroke, presented with right-sided weakness, impaired gait, and cognitive deficits. After completing 83 HBOT sessions (2.0 ATA, 90 minutes each), the outcomes were extraordinary:

Clinical improvements:

  • Regained independent walking with a quadruped cane
  • Noticeable gains in strength, balance and coordination
  • Improved speech fluency and articulation

Cognitive improvements (on NeuroTrax):

  • +31.2% in verbal memory
  • +10.7% in information processing speed
  • +8.6% in attention

Imaging confirmation:

  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) revealed increased white matter integrity
  • SPECT scans showed enhanced perfusion (+15.9%) in motor and frontal regions, aligning with improved mobility and cognition

This case highlights HBOT’s ability to actuate neuroplasticity and metabolic recovery in viable brain tissue. Additionally, NeuroTrax testing provided objective, quantifiable evidence of cognitive restoration, in line with the functional and imaging changes.

In another case study of a 62-year-old fibromyalgia patient treated with 60 HBOT sessions, NeuroTrax testing captured a 10% improvement in global cognition and a 26.9% gain in attention, supported by imaging that showed enhanced white matter integrity and brain perfusion. In addition to illustrating the versatility and efficacy of HBOT, these cases demonstrate the utility of NeuroTrax in characterizing and quantifying HBOT-related cognitive recovery.

For clinicians, the integration of NeuroTrax with advanced therapies like HBOT offers a powerful, evidence-based framework for tracking and optimizing neurorehabilitation outcomes.

Contact us to learn how NeuroTrax can bring objective, data-driven insights to your clinical practice.

Full text (open access):

https://jmedicalcasereports.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13256-025-05453-2

Citations:

Khairy, S., Mouzayan, G., Wang, Z., Qureshi, U., Zaitoun, R., and Efrati, S. (2025). Anatomical and metabolic brain imaging correlation of neurological improvements following hyperbaric oxygen therapy—post-stroke recovery: A case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports, 19:493. PMID: 41068989

Mouzayan, G., Khairy, S., Wang, Z., Qureshi, U., Zaitoun, R., and Efrati, S. (2025). Efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in treating fibromyalgia linked to childhood trauma after late-onset and over a decade of symptoms: A case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports, 19:386. PMID: 40765001