| Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been previously explored as a treatment for cognition in the TBI population, resulting in mixed outcomes. The present study examined the effect of HBOT on the cognitive and narrative discourse performance of an individual with chronic, severe TBI. Measurements of general cognition, receptive vocabulary, and discourse performance in the form of narrative storytelling were taken before and after HBOT. Narratives were assessed for organization, efficiency, and thoroughness. One-tailed t-tests indicated significant improvement in overall cognition but only in one aspect of the three narrative discourse measures. Further examination revealed that only improvements in attention explained the gains in cognition. For this study's subject, HBOT likely increased attention but not other cognitive skills or narrative discourse. Further studies incorporating more subjects and long-term outcome measurements are necessary to support these results and explore HBOT's effect on a larger population of individuals with chronic, severe TBI. |
