What is a stroke injury?
A stroke is an injury that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. This stops the brain getting the oxygen it needs and cells begin to die, which can lead to brain injury.
Pediatric stroke is relatively rare, ranging from 1.2 to 13 cases per 100,000 children under 18 years of age. It can happen any time throughout childhood, and even before birth — this is known as perinatal stroke.
As stroke is often undiagnosed, cases may be higher than realized. Up to 66% of children who suffer from a stroke have persistent neurological disorders or learning and developmental problems, including trouble with muscle weakness, muscle tightness, swallowing, thinking, or talking.
The benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for adults who have suffered stroke have been well established in clinical and pre-clinical studies. So far, scientific evidence of the effects of HBOT on pediatric stroke is spars, however, one recent study describes the benefits of HBOT on a single post stroke pediatric patient.
Want to learn more? Contact us and speak to our care team to see if your child is eligible for the treatment.
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How Can The Brain & Performance Program Help Your Child?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a common treatment for medical conditions associated with a lack of oxygen, and research shows that it can help with the healing of brain injuries.
At Brain & Performance Centre, we first diagnose the severity of the brain injury with physical and neurological tests to assess suitability for HBOT treatment. We then advise on a HBOT treatment plan.
HBOT involves breathing 100% pure oxygen in a special room known as a HBOT suite. This, combined with the elevated pressure in the suite increases the amount of oxygen in the blood several fold, which helps damaged tissue regenerate and heal faster.
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Proven Benefits of HBOT for Stroke Survivors
Benefits for the mind:
- Rehabilitation of injured brain tissue, restoring some or all of the functions impacted by the damaged tissue.
- Increased blood flow and oxygen supply to injured brain regions. Generation of new blood vessels in the brain (angiogenesis), improving blood supply to injured brain regions.
- Improved psychomotor function (the combination of precise motor responses and cognitive problem-solving abilities).
- HBOT triggers neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to adapt/react in response to injury or disease.
- HBOT reactivates and triggers neurogenesis – neuronal (nerve cell) regeneration that occurs in the brain.
- Improved quality of life.
Benefits for the Body:
- Improve motor and fine motor functions.
- Decrease in muscle tone or spasticity.
- Improved gait and balance.
- Improvement in all daily living functions (ADL’s).
Benefits for the Cells:
- Strengthen the immune system cells.
- Encourage stem cell proliferation – the building blocks needed for tissue repair – to multiply and migrate.
- Enhance cellular regeneration and repair processes.
- Improve mitochondrial function – the power plant in each of our cells.
Unsure if our programme is right for your child?
How it works
At The Brain & Performance Centre, we treat stroke survivors using a specific research based HBOT protocol. The Brain & Performance Protocol is based on over a decade of research . Our program includes:
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In-depth medical assessment
A comprehensive medical assessment including: medical, neurophysiological, and cognitive assessments, physical performance, occupational therapy and speech therapy, are carried out by The Brain & Performance Centre certified medical staff.
In addition, advanced brain imaging including high resolution MRI and SPECT scans will be carried out to assess the brain structure and metabolic brain function of your child. -
A unique treatment including HBOT protocol
Your child will undergo HBOT sessions five days a week for 12 weeks – 60 consecutive one-hour sessions in total. Alongside the HBOT sessions, your child will receive personalized brain training, physical training and physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy as is indicated by the child’s condition. These additional therapies are designed to maximize the effects of the HBOT on the rehabilitation journey.
During the program, your child will have weekly/biweekly appointments with our specialists (pediatric neurologist, pediatric physical therapist, pediatric neuropsychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist), as well as customized sessions for parents. -
Post-treatment assessment
At the end of the treatment, we repeat the tests from the initial assessment to measure results and make recommendations for your child's continued progress.
We’ll provide a comprehensive medical report summarizing all of the changes that occurred throughout your child’s treatment, supervised and signed by the professional healthcare team led by our Chief Medical Doctor.
Stroke and HBOT:
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Persistent post-concussive syndrome in children after mild traumatic brain injury is prevalent and vastly underdiagnosed
Nature, March, 2022
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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves neurocognitive functions of post-stroke patients – a retrospective analysis
Restor Neurol Neurosci, 2020; 38(1):93-107
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