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Trey wrote:
> 
> Thanks, good info. Most people assume that dead is dead with neurons. This
> is why you have to override the bullshit and get drastic. The
> "recompressions" are a joke - you need the oxygen in action. Recompression
> just adds to the insult in these cases.


Right.
We can now demonstrate that there is a penumbrum (a halo or circle)
around the area of dead cells that is "stunned" but not dead.  Neurons
tend to basically kill themselves when injured instead of trying to heal
themselves.  One of the hottest areas of research right now is in how to
get the damaged, but not dead cells to recover instead of self
destructing.  Unfortunatly, other than hyperbaric oxygen, the only ways
we've tried so far involve drugs which are pretty toxic.  The FDA has
stopped the research on a couple of drugs because of severe side
effects.  When we can get one to work right, there will be a massive
revolution in the treatment of stroke, spinal cord injury, and DCS!
For now, getting as much oxygen as possible to these injured cells seems
to be the key.  The nitrogen bubbles are gone within a short period of
time.  Recompression with air just recreates the original injury.  The
only time air should be used in treating neurological DCS is as short
"air breaks" to reduce lung damage.
Wendell
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