Hydrogen Plus Drug Shows Better Stroke Recovery Than Drug Alone
Improved brain MRI indices in the acute brain stem infarct sites treated with hydroxyl radical scavengers, Edaravone and hydrogen, as compared to Edaravone alone. A non-controlled study
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Cardiovascular System
- Evidence type
- Controlled trial (non-randomized) · Human study
- Authors
- Hirohisa Ono, Yoji Nishijima, Naoto Adachi, Shigekuni Tachibana, Shiroh Chitoku, Shigeo Mukaihara, Masaki Sakamoto, Yohei Kudo, Jun Nakazawa, Kumi Kaneko, Hiroshi Nawashiro
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2011
- PMID
- 22146068
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 34
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- intravenous administration of hydrogen-enriched saline
- Duration
- 10 days
- Conflicts of interest
- None declared
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 76 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Adding hydrogen to the treatment with a drug called Edaravone may improve recovery in patients with acute brainstem stroke, as shown by better MRI results and no side effects.
Key Finding
Patients with acute brainstem stroke who received Edaravone combined with hydrogen-enriched saline showed better MRI recovery markers and faster recovery timelines compared to those receiving Edaravone alone.
Summary
This study looked at how well two treatments worked for patients who had a sudden stroke in their brainstem (the lower part of the brain). Researchers compared patients who received Edaravone (a standard stroke medication) alone versus patients who received Edaravone plus hydrogen-enriched saline (salt water with dissolved hydrogen gas). They tracked how quickly brain damage appeared and recovered on MRI scans. The group that received both treatments showed faster recovery on MRI scans compared to the group that received Edaravone alone.
Practical Takeaway
This small, non-controlled study suggests that adding hydrogen to standard stroke treatment may enhance recovery in acute brainstem infarction. However, this is early-stage evidence from only 34 patients with no control group, so much larger and more rigorous studies would be needed before any clinical recommendations could be made. The lack of side effects is notable, but effectiveness in actual patient outcomes (not just MRI changes) remains to be demonstrated.
Abstract (excerpt)
In acute stage of cerebral infarction, MRI indices (rDWI & rADC) deteriorate during the first 3-7 days after the ictus and then gradually normalize in approximately 10 days (pseudonormalization time), although the tissue is already infarcted. Since effective treatments improve these indices…