Decreased symptoms of PTSD and TBI plus increased pulmonary function following multi-modality protocol

Delina H. Bishop, Stacy Sweeney, Michael Sweeney

ABSTRACT
A 40-year-old female Marine Corps Veteran diagnosed with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and significant environmental contaminants exposure induced constrictive bronchiolitis participated in a 12-week mixed-modality protocol of hyperbaric oxygen, red light therapies, intermittent hyperoxic/hypoxic training (IHHT), neurofeedback, and oral pre/probiotic supplements.

Final results subjectively revealed marked improvements in PTSD and depression scores falling below diagnosable thresholds, qEEG neurofeedback results, and pulmonary function. Additional reported benefits included increased sleep quality, improved mood, diminished depression, and noticeable increased lung function in daily living.

Case Report
The 40-year-old female Marine Corps Veteran was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, and environmental contaminants exposure-induced constrictive bronchiolitis. Her symptoms included fatigue, interrupted sleep, migraines, negative thought patterns, anger, poor focus, and relationship issues derived from PTSD/TBI and diminished pulmonary function.

The 12-Week Protocol included Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Intermittent Hyperoxic/Hypoxic Training (IHHT), photobiomodulation (red light), neurofeedback, 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 43 (pre-protocol), 32 (mid-protocol), and 13 (post-protocol). Scores below 35 indicate <15% probability of PTSD.
• PHQ-9 Assessment: Decreased from 23 (pre-protocol), 15 (mid-protocol), and 7 (post-protocol), indicating improvement from moderate to mild depression.
• PSQI Sleep Assessment: Maintained an average score of 4.5. Scores below 5 indicate good sleep quality.
• qEEG Brain Mapping: Mid-protocol showed 29% plasticity and 46% normalization; post-protocol showed 40% plasticity and 45% normalization. Scores over 30% plasticity and 35% normalization are considered outstanding.
• Cognitive Emotional Checklist (CEC): Pre-to-post protocol responses demonstrated a 30% improvement in memory.
• Pulmonary Function: A trend from 2021 to 2023 revealed declining pulmonary function in 3 of 5 measurements (TLC, FVC, and FEV1). Post-protocol assessments revealed notable improvement in nearly all 5 measurement criteria.

Subjective Outcomes
“My two biggest improvements have been my breathing and depression. Depression in the sense that I no longer feel like I want to end my life every single day. There has been a mild improvement in PTSD and anxiety, but life situations are keeping that pretty elevated.”

Discussion
This Veteran endured numerous life stresses throughout the Protocol, including an autoimmune diagnosis and significant family challenges, which led to a less robust participation in the Protocol. In light of these unforeseen stresses and health/physical limitations of the participant, this case report demonstrates the effectiveness of multi-modal treatment for the symptoms of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, and constrictive bronchiolitis over a 12-week period. The study focused on root-cause issues, including enhancing angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the brain through oxygen modalities, enhancing ATP production through NAD+ and photobiomodulation, minimizing brainwave dysregulation with qEEG neurofeedback, and diminishing gut-brain axis neurochemical imbalances through supplementation. This data derived from the regimen will significantly impact future treatment protocols for Veterans and First Responders suffering from PTSD and TBI.

OPTI Health Lake Norman
www.optihealthlkn.com
August 2024

Contact Information

• Delina Bishop, MD – Medical Director OPTI Health Lake Norman ([email protected])
• Stacy Sweeney, MSPT, MS – Founder, Director Neurocognitive Services OPTI Health Lake Norman ([email protected])
• Michael Sweeney, MBA – Founder and Chief Executive Officer OPTI Health Lake Norman ([email protected])

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