Overview for Caregivers and Individuals
We started conducting our first pilot trial in 2010 and formed Microbaric® Oxygen Systems to dedicate more focus and resource to taking on the battle with autism. We have been working privately and personally funding trials since the beginning, and the results have been profound. we have not been able to find anything like them with children this old in the scientific and medical literature. We encourage you to check out the testimonials from the mothers HERE.
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Our work so far has been at a pilot phase and so the equipment is at prototype stage as you may see from the the picture below. We are working to make the equipment much smaller and as much like a piece of home furniture as possible so that it will readily integrate both into the home surroundings and the family routine.​
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The information and pictures below are from our pilot study and intended to help you understand the form of treatment. This therapy involves the breathing of oxygen, in most countries a prescription drug, at normorbaric pressure. Thus, MBO2 is a medical rather than a psychological treatment, and whilst sounding simple, has delivered amazing and very real results. We have just released our peer-reviewed hypothesis paper which explores and explains what we believe is happening biologically in the brain to create the functional changes that are resulting in the significant improvements observed and rated by the parents of the children we have worked with.
While we are cautious not to overstate anything and can make no absolute promises, as to what changes may or may not occur in a given individual - we are excited.
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Our studies so far have been with teen and preteen children, but the hypothesis we have developed suggests there should be no age barrier on who Microbaric® Oxygen Therapy benefits. This could bring the many profoundly autistic adults back towards a level of function at which they can establish a quality of life that they've not likely experienced, and that their caregivers and family have given up on them ever having
There is no lack of money being poured into intellectual and scientific research on autism, it seems that a new gene is being implicated every day. Perhaps this will bring some kind of "miracle" in the future - but the harsh reality is there are no new interventions emerging from this work that actually help those affected by autism today. We believe the body creates its own miracles when it is functioning normally - and Microbaric® Oxygen Therapy is simply the tool facilitating the body's own response. Psychological interventions are currently considered the gold standard of treatment but we believe the underlying biology naturally limits any progress that can be made until it is corrected to the fullest extent possible.
We are not aware of any other intervention that has delivered results like we've seen - hence our drive to push for broader clinical trials to further confirm its efficacy, and then to finalise the product to make it available to those that need it. Bringing a medical device to market has its challenges both in terms of regulation and time, your patience and support is appreciated.
For the full details of the study, we published a peer reviewed scientific research paper in late 2018 in the Autism - Open Access Journal that discussed the therapy model, and also the results we'd seen in objective format. The results have been dramatic and seemingly permanent - with the improvements showing no regression 7 years after treatment was ceased, and the clock is still running.
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If anything you read here inspires you to contact us - then we'd be delighted to hear from you. If you are or know impactful people that can help us on our journey then that would also be great to know...
Starting Out Right...
Diagnosis, Informed Consent & ATEC Baseline
The qualifications for participation in this pilot study were minimal. They consisted of diagnosis of ASD by a healthcare professional; an age from 6 to 18 years, inclusive; not taking any drug that might reduce oxygen tolerance or interact with oxygen to produce a potentially harmful effect; not taking any psychotropic agent that might mask changes resulting from the therapy. Information for determining subject qualification was obtained during a meeting with the children's parents and/or from a detailed case history, also provided by the parents.
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During the first meeting with the parents, we also reviewed an informed consent document which included a release to use data gathered on an anonymous basis. On receipt of the signed informed consent and a physician’s prescription for the therapy gas, a supply of oxygen was arranged with a licensed home respiratory care company.
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Before the oxygen and therapy equipment were delivered and set up, parent-rated baseline ATEC assessments were conducted on each subject in order to establish severity level and any trend for change over time.
Prototype
Equipment Setup At Home
Our vision is that the treatment needs to be available at home and not require a daily visit to a clinic or hospital. Fitting the equipment into the home minimises stress on the subject and maximises convenience for the caregiver. These factors support the ability to deliver regular treatments over an extended period as required to have the most impactful results.​
Most of our pilot studies used a living room so that activities such as games or TV could be undertaken during treatment.
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In our experience, the autistic children became comfortable with the hood system very quickly and settled into the routine of being treated. Our pilot study mums reported many instances of the child placing their own hoods on or being enthusiastic to get the treatment.
Treatment
The Treatments
The equipment was set up to allow the child free range of movement within an area defined by the mother (eg: the family room). As the hood readily transmitted sound and provided good visibility, the children could continue with their normal activities while taking treatments.
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Treatments were typically conducted once a day, five days a week, for sixty minutes. They were easily incorporated into the families’ homes and daily schedules, and readily adapted to within several days by the children with autism.
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ATEC rating scales were completed periodically over the course of treatment and plotted to determine change over time and to compare to the original baseline taken in the months prior to commencing Microbaric® Oxygen Therapy. This created graphs like the one shown below. For a complete view of the initial study and the results please review our 2018 Paper published in the Autism Open Access Journal.
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An Illustration from Pilot Data
The chart below summarises the sequence and key timeline of this pilot study. Treatment for 5 days per week was conducted for 550 days in total (approximately 18 months) during which time the dramatic changes occurred. In the period afterwards ATECs were taken on a regular basis, becoming more spaced from around 2 years in. Thereafter occasional ATECs have been provided giving us long term insight in to how the change is lasting. As can be seen from the data - 7 years later the same low scores (hence improved function) continue to be sustained, and the clock is still running.
