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Decreased Oxygen Always Causes Brain Problems


Comment from Dr. Mladenoff

The brain can only survive several minutes without oxygen, It is only logical that anything that decreases oxygen levels in the brain will makes things worse.


This article confirms that post concussive clinical symptomatology and findings persist as a result of decreased brain oxygenation.  The symptoms of poor working memory continue and remain in minor and severely concussed patients.   


Two things become clear, firstly blood flow and oxygen content in the brain should be part of your evaluation of concussed patients independent of the severity of the concussion. Second - you should consider some form of oxygen therapy as part of the therapeutic intervention and restoration of function for ANY head trauma patient!
Persistent Postconcussive Symptoms Are Accompanied by Decreased Functional Brain Oxygenation
Ingo Helmich, Rajeet S Saluja, Hedda Lausberg, Mathias Kempe, Philip Furley, Alisa Berger, Jen-Kai Chen, Alain Ptito.
Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 2015, 27 (4): 287-98

Abstract:  Diagnostic methods are considered a major concern in the determination of mild traumatic brain injury. The authors examined brain oxygenation patterns in subjects with severe and minor persistent postconcussive difficulties and a healthy control group during working memory tasks in prefrontal brain regions using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

The results demonstrated decreased working memory performances among concussed subjects with severe postconcussive symptoms that were accompanied by decreased brain oxygenation patterns. An association appears to exist between decreased brain oxygenation, poor performance of working memory tasks, and increased symptom severity scores in subjects suffering from persistent postconcussive symptoms.
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