Impacts of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) on Verbal Scores in Children With Autism: A Secondary Analysis of the HBOT Trial Using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA)

Introduction A secondary analysis employing advanced statistical methodologies constitutes a robust means of validating initial findings in systematic empiricism. The current research will undertake a secondary analysis of the impacts of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) on verbal behaviors in children with autism using the original dataset. This approach aims to enhance the robustness of the initial results, thereby providing a deeper understanding of the data and potentially uncovering additional insights. Materials and methods From January 2018 to July 2021, all cohorts of autistic children (n = 65) were scheduled, evaluated, and treated at The Oxford Center (TOC) in Brighton and Troy, Michigan, USA. Trained research assistants retrospectively extracted pretest and posttest data from electronic medical records from the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) and the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS). This data collection focused on children with autism who received either non-HBOT control with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment only or ABA + HBOT interventions. For the VB-MAPP, the experimental group (ABA + HBOT) included 23 children, while the control group (ABA only) included 12 children. For the ABLLS, the experimental group (ABA + HBOT) consisted of nine children, compared to 21 children in the control group (ABA only). Demographic information was systematically summarized. Two independent sample t-tests were recomputed from the original study. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were conducted, followed by one-way Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) post hoc analyses to elucidate the findings. Results The ages in both groups ranged from 2 to 17 years (M = 5.7 years ± 3.08), with median ages of four years for the experimental group and five years for the control group. The p-values and effect sizes indicated that the two independent sample t-tests from the original study and the MANOVAs from the current research are in agreement. This concordance provided confirmatory evidence for the validity of the pretest and posttest differences in VB-MAPP and ABLLS scores for the control group (ABA only) and the experimental group (ABA + HBOT), highlighting the impact of HBOT on verbal scores in children with autism. Conclusions The results from the two independent sample t-tests from the initial study exhibited high alignment with those derived from the current study's MANOVAs. Both statistical methodologies were applied to the same VB-MAPP and ABLLS datasets. The convergence of results from these two distinct statistical analyses may reinforce the credibility of the original research findings. It supports the hypothesis that the combined ABA and HBOT intervention may offer additional benefits over ABA therapy alone, with verbal milestone behaviors in children with autism.