Steele

No benefit from hyperbaric oxygen in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Clinical Bottom Line:

 1. Both groups deteriorated at a similar rate.

Citation/s:1. Steele J, Zutchi D, Bradley WD. Negative results of a phase II study of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for amyotrophic leteral sclerosis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis 2007;8:274-275

Lead author's name and fax: Walter Bradley wbradley@med.miami.edu

 Three-part Clinical Question:For patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, does the administration of hyperbaric oxygen, compared to normal care, result in improved measures of ALS severity?

Search Terms:Amyotrohic lateral sclerosis; 

 The Study:Single-blinded randomised controlled trial with intention-to-treat.

The Study Patients:Patients meeting standard criteria for diagnosis of ALS and FVC >60% of expected.

Control group (N = 5 ; 5  analysed): 40 sessions of air breathing over 8 weeks for one hour daily at a maximum of 1.3 ATA.

Experimental group (N = 5 ; 5  analysed): As above but breathing 100% oxygen at 2 ATA.

 

The Evidence:

Authors report both groups deteriorated at similar rates with HBO group at 81.5% of baseline at 20 weeks and the sham group 89.2% of baseline at 12 weeks. No other quantitative results.

  Comments:

1. Study was of two groups of five patients with HBO or sham treatment with allocation by toss of coin.

2. Patients were unaware of allocation when asked which group they were in.

3. Study stopped early because there was no sign of slowed disease progression by 12 weeks analysis of the sham group and 20 weeks for the active group.

 

Appraised by:Mike Bennett  m.bennett@unsw.edu.au ; Sunday, 15 November 2020

 

Kill or Update By:  November 2026

 

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