The effects of hyperbaric oxygen on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor and brain edema and neurological function in patients with acuteintracerebral hemorrhage

Objective To investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen( HBO) therapy on serum brain-derived neurotrophicfactor,brain edema,and neurological function in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods Ninety subjects with acute intracerebral hemorrhage were divided into a routine treatment group( forty-five cases) and a HBO treatment group( forty-five cases). Forty-five healthy persons served as a control group. The dynamic changes of serum brainderived neurotrophic factor were observed before and after treatment. MRI images of the subjects' brains were prepared at the 7th and 25 th days. Absolute edema volumes and relative edema volumes were measured on T2-weighted images. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale( NIHSS) was used to evaluate the degree of neurological deficit. Barthelindex( BI) was used to evaluate the activities of daily living. The modified Rankin scale( mRS) was used to assess the degree of disability. Results( 1) The serum BDNF levels in the routine therapy and HBO groups were higher than those in the control group at the outset( P 0. 01). At the 7th,15 th and 25 th day,the serum BDNF levels in the HBO group increased remarkedly and were significantly higher than those in the routine therapy group( P 0. 05).( 2) At the 7th and 25 th days,both absolute edema volumes and relative edema volumes in the HBO group were significantly smaller than those in the routine therapy group( P 0. 05,P 0. 01).( 3) Serum BDNF levels were negatively correlated wih the brain edema volumes,and were significantly negatively correlated with the scores of NIHSS( P 0. 001) and mRS( P 0. 001),but they were significantly positively correlated with the BI scores( P 0. 001). Conclusion HBO therapy in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage can lessen the severity and range of brain edema,and can more effectively promote the recovery of neurological function,and its mechanism may be associated with the increased serum BDNF levels.