Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Autistic Children: A Pilot Study
Public ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT00324909. Field values are reproduced from the official study page; the official ClinicalTrials.gov record remains the source of truth for eligibility, enrollment, and contact information.
Data is sourced from official ClinicalTrials.gov public API records. Always review the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for the latest information.
Official title
Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Clinical Symptoms and Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Autistic Children: A Pilot Study
Brief summary
Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that currently affects as many as 1 out of 166 children in the United States. Autism is considered by many to be a permanent condition with little hope for improvement. Treatment for autism is centered on special schooling and behavioral therapy; medical science currently has little to offer. Recent research has discovered that some autistic individuals have decreased blood flow to the brain, evidence of inflammation in the brain, and increased markers of oxidative stress. Multiple independent single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) research studies have revealed hypoperfusion to several areas of the autistic brain, most notably the temporal regions and areas specifically related to language comprehension and auditory processing. Several studies show that diminished blood flow to these areas correlates with many of the clinical features associated with autism including repetitive, self-stimulatory and stereotypical behaviors, and impairments in communication, sensory perception, and social interaction. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used with clinical success in several cerebral hypoperfusion syndromes including cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, closed head injury, and stroke. HBOT can compensate for decreased blood flow by increasing the oxygen content of plasma and body tissues and can even normalize oxygen levels in ischemic tissue. In addition, animal studies have shown that HBOT has potent anti-inflammatory effects and reduces oxidative stress. Furthermore, recent evidence demonstrates that HBOT mobilizes stem cells from human bone marrow which may aid recovery in neurodegenerative diseases. Based upon these findings, it is hypothesized that HBOT will improve symptoms in autistic individuals. The purpose of this study is to determine if HBOT improves clinical outcomes in children with autism. The study will also determine if HBOT changes markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in autistic children.
Study identification
- NCT ID
- NCT00324909
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Enrollment
- 18 participants
Conditions and interventions
Conditions
Eligibility (public fields only)
- Age range
- 2 Years to 18 Years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not listed
This page does not interpret eligibility. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria are on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Study timeline
- Start date
- Not listed
- Primary completion
- Not listed
- Completion
- Not listed
- Last update posted
- Apr 9, 2007
United States locations
- U.S. sites
- 1
- U.S. states
- 1
- U.S. cities
- 1
| Facility | City | State | ZIP | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Medical Center | Arrington | Virginia | 22922 | — |
Site contact phone numbers, emails, and investigator names are intentionally not displayed here. Open the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for site contact information.
About this trial record page
- What this page shows
- Public field values for ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT00324909, including study identification, conditions, interventions, eligibility (age, sex, healthy volunteer), timeline, and U.S. site list.
- What this page does not do
- No medical advice, eligibility judgments, treatment recommendations, study quality scoring, or AI-generated medical summaries. No site contact phone numbers, emails, or investigator names.
- Where the data comes from
- Sourced from the official ClinicalTrials.gov public API. The official record is the source of truth.
- Last refresh
- Last update posted Apr 9, 2007 · Synced Sep 2, 2026
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Open the official record
The complete protocol, eligibility criteria, and contact information for NCT00324909 live on ClinicalTrials.gov.