Introduction
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been increasingly studied as a potential intervention for Long COVID, a condition characterised by persistent symptoms such as cognitive impairment, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and pain long after the initial infection has resolved. A recent longitudinal follow-up of a randomised controlled trial, published in Scientific Reports (2024), investigated whether the benefits of HBOT for Long COVID patients were sustained over time. This blog summarises the key findings of that study, which evaluated patients more than one year after their final HBOT session.
Understanding the Study Design
The original trial included patients with reported post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms who underwent 40 daily HBOT sessions. This long-term follow-up study reassessed 31 of these patients an average of 486 days after their last HBOT session. Researchers used validated questionnaires to measure quality of life, sleep quality, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and pain. (A Hadanny et al, 2024) The objective was to determine whether the short-term improvements observed immediately after HBOT were maintained over a longer period.
Key Findings on Quality of Life and Sleep
The study found that improvements in quality of life, as measured by the SF-36 questionnaire, were largely sustained at the long-term follow-up. Significant short-term gains in domains such as physical limitations, energy, social function, and general health showed no significant decline more than a year later. Similarly, sleep quality, assessed via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, demonstrated that improvements in global sleep scores and specific domains like sleep latency and daytime dysfunction persisted over time, with some effect sizes even increasing. (A Hadanny et al, 2024)
Neuropsychiatric and Pain Symptom Improvements
Neuropsychiatric symptoms, including somatisation, depression, and anxiety, were evaluated using the Brief Symptom Inventory-18. The large effect sizes observed shortly after HBOT remained stable at the long-term assessment, indicating lasting relief from these often-debilitating symptoms. Furthermore, both pain severity and pain interference showed significant short-term improvements that were maintained a year later. This suggests that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can provide durable symptomatic relief for common and distressing aspects of Long COVID. (A Hadanny et al, 2024)
Conclusion
The longitudinal data indicates that HBOT can induce lasting improvements in quality of life, sleep, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and pain for patients suffering from Long COVID. The sustained benefits observed more than a year after treatment suggest that the therapy may facilitate underlying physiological repairs, such as improved brain connectivity and oxygenation, rather than offering merely transient relief. This provides promising evidence for HBOT as a valuable intervention in the long-term management of Post-COVID Condition.
Reference List
Hadanny, A., Zilberman-Itskovich, S., Catalogna, M. et al. Long term outcomes of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in post covid condition: longitudinal follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Sci Rep 14, 3604 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53091-3
Slater, Gordon. (2024). Current Review: Hyperbaric Oxygen Analysis with Appropriate Cognitive Assessment. Journal of Clinical Medical Research. 1-5. 10.46889/JCMR.2024.5315.
Disclaimer:
This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider for any questions or concerns regarding your health. All surgical or invasive procedures involve potential risks. It is advisable to seek a second opinion from a suitably qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions.