Delina H. Bishop, Stacy Sweeney, Michael Sweeney
ABSTRACT A 59-year-old male Army Veteran diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and burn pit exposure was treated in a 12-week mixed-modality protocol of hyperbaric oxygen, red light therapies, intermittent hyperoxic/hypoxic training (IHHT), neurofeedback, NAD+ IV infusions, and oral pre/probiotic supplements. Final results subjectively revealed marked improvements in sleep quality, mood, hypervigilance and anger. Clinical findings revealed no migraine activity since starting the protocol, as well as PTSD and depression scores decreasing below the diagnosable threshold.
Case Report A 59-year-old male Army Veteran is diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, and burn pit exposure. His symptoms included hypervigilance, interrupted sleep, migraines, negative thought patterns, anger, poor focus, and relationship issues derived from PTSD/TBI symptoms. The 12-Week Protocol included Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Intermittent Hyperoxic/Hypoxic Training (IHHT), photobiomodulation (red light), neurofeedback, NAD+ w/glutathione infusions, 90 days of Amare Global pre/probiotic/nootropic oral supplementation, and health coaching sessions addressing sleep, diet, and thought patterns.
Measurable Outcomes
- PCL-5 Assessment decreased from 41, 18 to 9 pre, mid and post-protocol respectively. Scores below 35 represent <15% probability of PTSD.
- PHQ-9 Assessment – decreased from 14, 5,to 3, respectively. From moderate to minimal depression scores.
- PSQI Sleep Assessment – mid-protocol 6, post-protocol 3. Scores below 5 are associated with good sleep quality.
- qEEG Brain Mapping – Mid-protocol 42% plasticity and 48% normalization and post-protocol 40% plasticity and 45% normalization. Score over 30% plasticity and 35% normalization are considered outstanding.
- Cognitive Emotional Checklist (CEC) – Pre to post protocol responses improved by 63%, 45%, 40%, 60%, and 38%, respectively. The CEC is a standardized psychological test that allows a client to rate the severity of various cognitive and emotional issues
- No migraines since starting protocol
- Veteran’s wearable data: ○ ↑ Avg. deep sleep from 7 to 42 minutes. ○ ↓13.5% average RHR ○ ↑14.2% cardio fitness level Subjective Outcomes “Since starting the protocol, I’m sleeping better and focused more on the things that matter… this is a dramatic change for me.” “My hypervigilance in daily activities is nearly gone. No more scanning the overpass on the highway for bad guys and looking at garbage on the roadside as potential IEDs.”
Discussion This case report demonstrates the effectiveness of multi-modal treatment for the symptoms of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries over a 12-week period. This study followed a protocol focusing upon root-cause issues to include enhancing angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the brain through oxygen modalities ¹·², enhancing ATP production through NAD+ ³ and photobiomodulation ⁴, minimizing brainwave dysregulation with qEEG neurofeedback ⁵, and diminishing gut-brain axis neurochemical imbalances through supplementation.⁶·⁹ This data derived from this regimen will significantly impact the treatment protocols of future Veterans and First Responders suffering from the effects of PTSD and TBI within this continuing program and beyond.
Delina Bishop, MD Medical Director OPTI Health Lake Norman dhbishopmd@optihealthlkn.com
Stacy Sweeney, MSPT, MS Founder, Director Neurocognitive Services OPTI Health Lake Norman stacy@optihealthlkn.com
Michael Sweeney, MBA Founder and Chief Executive Officer OPTI Health Lake Norman mike@optihealthlkn.com
OPTI Health Lake Norman www.optihealthlkn.com August 2024
