Clinical effects of hyperbaric oxygen combined cerebral circular electro-stimulation in the treatment of patients with ischemic stroke

Objective To investigate the clinical effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) combined cerebral circular electro-stimulation in the treatment of patients with ischemic stroke. Methods One hundred and fifty-two patients with ischemic stroke were divided by different treatment methods into 4 groups: the combined treatment group, the cerebral circular electro-stimulation group, the HBO group and the drug routine group (the control group), each consisting of 38 patients. Blood flow rates of anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), posterior cerebral artery (PCA), vertebral artery (VA) and basilar artery (BA) , and changes in cerebral wave lengths (α, β, δ and θ waves) both before and after stimulation were respectively detected with transcranial Doppler (TCD) and EEG. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Bathel Index were used as standards for comparisons of therapeutic effects between groups. Results Cerebral blood flow rates for the patients in the cerebral circular electro-stimulation group and the HBO group were all increased, as compared with that of the control group. For the patients in the combined treatment group, average blood flow rates of MCA(35.13±3.47)cm/s, ACA(34.28±4.25)cm/s, VA(21.45±3.23)cm/s and BA(20.47±3.58)cm/s before treatment were respectively increased to the levels of(60.23±4.32)cm/s, (57.48+ 5.23)cm/s, (36.84±2.75)cm/s and(35.47±3.17)cm/s after treatment, with statistical significance(P<0.05). Statistical significance could be noted, when comparisons were made after treatment between the combined treatment group and the cerebral circular electro-stimulation and the HBO groups(P<0.05). For the patients in the combined treatment group, EEG α wave length was increased from(56.25±3.86)μV2 before treatment to(90.47±4.35)μV2 after treatment, while the wave lengths of θ wave and δ wave lengths were decreased from (22.23±2.63) μV2 and(19.24±3.57)μV2 before treatment to (10.37±2.31)μV2 and 8.19±3.28)μV2 after treatment, with statistical significance(P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of NIHSS for all the groups were decreased dramatically. The NIHSS scores for the combined treatment group were decreased from 22.89±8.15)before treatment to(14.53±6.54)after treatment, with statistical significance(P<0.05). Statistical significance could also be noticed, when they were compared with those of the cerebral circular electro-stimulation and the HBO groups(P<0.05). The therapeutic efficacy achieved following treatment for the cerebral circular electro-stimulation and the HBO groups was respectively 76.3% and 73.4%, and there was statistical significance, when compared with that of the control group(P<0.05), while the therapeutic efficacy for the combined treatment group was 86.8%, and statistical significance could also be noted, when comparisons were made between the groups(P<0.05). The Bathel Index for the combined treatment group was increased from(28.73±6.89)before treatment to(68.28±8.17)after treatment, and statistical significance could be found, when compared with that before treatment and those of other groups after treatment(P<0.05). Conclusions HBO and cerebral circular electro-stimulation could all increase cerebral blood flow of the patients with ischemic stroke, improve brain cell function and promote early recovery of the patients with ischemic stroke, and combined treatment of HBO and cerebral circular electro-stimulation could achieve much better effects. Key words: Hyperbaric oxygen; Cerebral circular electro-stimulation treatment; Ischemic stroke