New Study Highlights the Potential of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as a Biologically Based Treatment for Long-Term PTSD Symptom Improvement

September 17, 2025 at 09:16 AM EDT

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It is estimated that more than 13 million Americans struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A new study, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for PTSD: Threshold Effect for Sustained Symptom Improvement in a Biologically Based Treatment, shows hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) promotes neuroplasticity and alleviates symptoms in individuals with PTSD.

The study was carried out through a joint collaboration between the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center and the Department of Molecular Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.

PTSD is a long‐term consequence of exposure to traumatic or stressful events, such as combat, accidents, assault, terror attacks, and natural disasters. PTSD affects up to 30% of combatants and has a major effect on quality of life and on social and occupational function. It is characterized by a range of symptoms, which are grouped into four clusters: intrusive symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, and recollection of the traumatic event; avoidance behavior; changes in cognition and mood; hypervigilance and hyperarousal.

PTSD is often resistant to treatment, with approximately 50% of patients not responding to guideline‐recommended therapies. Over the past decade, research has highlighted enduring changes in brain activity and structure as key contributors to treatment resistance. Therefore, biologically based treatment approaches that can induce neuroplasticity and repair malfunctioning brain tissue have gained more attention in recent years.

This study revisited data from a previous trial involving 56 male veterans with PTSD who had not responded well to other treatments. The study used statistical methods to look at how improvements during treatment related to long-term symptom relief. Participants who showed a 35% or greater improvement by the end of treatment continued to improve even after the treatment ended. Those below this threshold did not sustain the benefits.

“HBOT offers veterans a promising treatment option for PTSD by addressing underlying biological factors that contribute to their symptoms. The results of this study are similar to what we see in peripheral non-healing wounds: HBOT is continued until ~80% granulation tissue is achieved, after which the healing process continues on its own,” said Dr. Efrati, chair of Aviv Scientific’s Medical Advisory Board. “We now observe the same principle in the brain – once the threshold is crossed, regenerative processes carry forward even after HBOT ends. This enables veterans to experience lasting symptom relief, allowing them to regain their quality of life."

HBOT is a medical treatment in which 100% oxygen is administered at an increased environmental pressure. The dedicated HBOT protocol administered, known as the hyperoxic-hypoxic paradox, fluctuates oxygen levels during treatment and is being used to repair and regenerate damaged brain tissue in several types of brain injuries including stroke, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, long COVID and age-related cognitive decline, among others. This protocol is available at Aviv Clinics in The Villages, Fla.

The full study is available here.

About Aviv Clinics
Aviv Clinics is the leader in the research and treatment of cognitive and functional decline related to aging and other medical indications, using advanced hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) protocols to maximize brain and body performance. In partnership with the world’s largest hyperbaric medicine and research facility, the Sagol Center at Shamir Medical Center in Israel, Aviv is dedicated to providing effective evidence-based treatment of age-related decline and chronic neurological conditions. The Aviv Medical Program, developed based on nearly two decades of research and thousands of patients treated worldwide, offers a personalized approach to treatment, combining hyperbaric oxygen therapy with cognitive, physical, and nutritional interventions. The program is backed by the scientific leadership of Shai Efrati, M.D., chair of Aviv Scientific’s Medical Advisory Board and director of the Sagol Center.

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