Shai Efrati (Hebrew: שי אפרתי, born 1971) is a physician from Israel and an associate professor at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University as well as director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at the Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center in Israel.[1][2] As of 2008, Efrati has served as chairman of the Israeli Society for Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine.[3] Efrati is also Co-Founder and Chair of Medical Advisory Board for Aviv Scientific.[4]

Shai Efrati
Portrait of Dr. Shai Efrati
Born1971
CitizenshipIsraeli
Alma materBen-Gurion University of the Negev
Scientific career
FieldsHyperbaric Medicine, Enhanced Medicine
InstitutionsTel Aviv University,
Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center,
Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research

Education and career

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Efrati completed his M.D. at Ben Gurion University between 1994 and 2000. He later completed his residency, specializing in internal medicine, between 2001 and 2004, with the Department of Internal Medicine of Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center. In 2003, he continued his diving and hyperbaric medicine training at the Israel Naval Institute in Haifa. He specialized in nephrology. From 2005 to 2007, he was the head of the Nephrology Division and the Head of the Research and Development unit at Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center since 2015.[5][6]

Efrati is co-founder and Scientific Director of Hospitech Respiration Ltd., founded in 2006 and based in Israel.[7][8] The company engages in the development of respiratory tract management devices for mechanically ventilated patients. It is based on the AnapnoGuard system, a continuous closed-loop control system that prevents complications related to prolonged mechanical ventilation by continuously monitoring CO2 levels above the cuff and adjusting cuff pressure required to maintain the seal at the appropriate pressure.[9]

Efrati is co-founder and chair of the Medical Advisory Board of Aviv Scientific, which leverages Efrati's research on HBOT to improve brain and physical performance in healthy aging adults.[10]

Efrati is a founding member of the Global Aging Consortium initiated by Aviv Scientific, which includes internationally recognized researchers to advance innovations in healthy aging: Dr. Michael Roizen, Dr. Nir Barzilai, Dr. Eric Verdin, Dr. Joseph Maroon.

Research work

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In 2008, Efrati founded and now directs the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Tel Aviv University and Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center, where he oversees and collaborates with other scientists and manages a sizeable hyperbaric medicine and research facility. The center currently treats up to 200 patients per day.[11][12][13]

Efrati has initiated a research program focusing on neuroplasticity and cognitive rehabilitation by the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). In his clinical studies, it was proved that HBOT can induce neuroplasticity and improves neurocognitive functions in post stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) years after the acute Insult.[14][15][16] The clinical results gained from the research program have led to ongoing cooperation between a multidisciplinary team focused on the regenerative effects of hyperbaric oxygen in various brain injuries such as stroke, post-concussion syndrome (PCS), Traumatic Brain Injury, Long Covid, severe emotional trauma, PTSD, Alzheimer's disease as well with a special focus on age-related functional decline.[17][18][19][20]

In his studies, it was demonstrated that HBOT can induce neuroplasticity and significant clinical improvement in patients with fibromyalgia who have a history of childhood sexual abuse.[21]

In his recent study, HBOT was shown to induce cognitive enhancements in healthy aging adults via mechanisms involving regional changes in Cerebral blood flow. The main improvements include attention, information processing speed and executive functions, which generally decline with aging.[22]

In his Aging study, on November 18, 2020, for the first time in humans, two key biological hallmarks of aging, telomere length shortening and accumulation of senescent cells, were shown to be reversed with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).[23]

Since December 2021, he started one of the most comprehensive studies on post-COVID patients.The findings revealed that patients treated with HBOT experienced significant improvements in their overall cognitive function and within specific brain regions responsible for attention and executive function. They also showed enhancements in energy levels, sleep patterns, psychiatric symptoms, and pain management. The positive effects of this unique treatment protocol are attributed to neuroplasticity and increased brain perfusion in areas related to cognitive and emotional functions.[24]

The second study employed a novel functional MRI technique and identified significant changes in brain connectivity and functional networks in the HBOT group compared to the placebo group.[25] Furthermore, a third study in 2023 demonstrated that HBOT could improve cardiac functions in post-COVID patients as well.[26]

Selected papers

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dr. Shai Efrati, MD". www.assafh.org. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  2. ^ טויזר, ענבר (2019-07-31). "תור של שנה: למה משרד הבריאות לא מאשר הקמת תאי לחץ נוספים?". ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  3. ^ admin. "Shai Efrati". EUBS. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  4. ^ "Shai Efrati, MD". Aviv Clinics. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  5. ^ "Efrati Shai – Sagol School of Neuroscience". Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  6. ^ "Prof Efrati Shai". www.assafh.org (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  7. ^ "11 life-science start ups worth watching - Globes". en.globes.co.il. 2005-05-04. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  8. ^ "Shai Efrati Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  9. ^ "Hospitech Respiration Ltd. Announced Clearance of a 510(k) Pre-Market Notification for the AnapnoGuard System". www.businesswire.com. 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  10. ^ "Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment - HBOT - the science behind". Aviv Clinics. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  11. ^ "Assaf Harofeh acquires world's largest high-pressure oxygen chamber - Israel News - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Retrieved 2019-07-13.
  12. ^ "The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research". www.assafh.org. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  13. ^ Hadanny A, Lang E, Copel L, Meir O, Bechor Y, Fishlev G, et al. (August 2018). "Correction: Hyperbaric oxygen can induce angiogenesis and recover erectile function". International Journal of Impotence Research. 30 (4): 202. doi:10.1038/s41443-018-0043-5. PMID 29983419.
  14. ^ "New Treatment for Stroke, Brain Disorders". Israel National News. 24 January 2013. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  15. ^ Efrati S, Fishlev G, Bechor Y, Volkov O, Bergan J, Kliakhandler K, et al. (2013-01-15). "Hyperbaric oxygen induces late neuroplasticity in post stroke patients--randomized, prospective trial". PLOS ONE. 8 (1): e53716. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...853716E. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053716. PMC 3546039. PMID 23335971.
  16. ^ Hadanny, Amir; Rittblat, Mor; Bitterman, Mor; May-Raz, Ido; Suzin, Gil; Boussi-Gross, Rahav; Zemel, Yonatan; Bechor, Yair; Catalogna, Merav; Efrati, Shai (2020-01-21). "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves neurocognitive functions of post-stroke patients - a retrospective analysis". Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience. 38 (1): 93–107. doi:10.3233/RNN-190959. ISSN 1878-3627. PMC 7081098. PMID 31985478.
  17. ^ "Can hyperbaric treatment heal brain injuries?". The Johns Hopkins News-Letter. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  18. ^ "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy May Alleviate Alzheimer's Symptoms". Neuroscience News. 2017-12-05. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  19. ^ "Pressure Tank: When Oxygen Becomes Medicine". Israel Innovation Authority. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  20. ^ Vadas D, Kalichman L, Hadanny A, Efrati S (2017). "Hyperbaric Oxygen Environment Can Enhance Brain Activity and Multitasking Performance". Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 11: 25. doi:10.3389/fnint.2017.00025. PMC 5623811. PMID 29021747.
  21. ^ Efrati S, Golan H, Bechor Y, Faran Y, Daphna-Tekoah S, Sekler G, et al. (2015-05-26). "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can diminish fibromyalgia syndrome--prospective clinical trial". PLOS ONE. 10 (5): e0127012. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1027012E. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0127012. PMC 4444341. PMID 26010952.
  22. ^ Hadanny, Amir; Daniel-Kotovsky, Malka; Suzin, Gil; Boussi-Gross, Rahav; Catalogna, Merav; Dagan, Kobi; Hachmo, Yafit; Hamed, Ramzia Abu; Sasson, Efrat; Fishlev, Gregory; Lang, Erez; Polak, Nir; Doenyas, Keren; Friedman, Mony; Tal, Sigal; Zemel, Yonatan; Bechor, Yair; Efrati, Shai (26 June 2020). "Aging". www.aging-us.com. 12 (13): 13740–13761. doi:10.18632/aging.103571. PMC 7377835. PMID 32589613. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  23. ^ Hachmo, Yafit; Hadanny, Amir; Hamed, Ramzia Abu; Daniel-Kotovsky, Malka; Catalogna, Merav; Fishlev, Gregory; Lang, Erez; Polak, Nir; Doenyas, Keren; Friedman, Mony; Zemel, Yonatan; Bechor, Yair; Efrati, Shai (18 November 2020). "Aging". www.aging-us.com. 12 (22): 22445–22456. doi:10.18632/aging.202188. PMC 7746357. PMID 33206062. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  24. ^ Hadanny, Amir; Finci, Shachar; Catalogna, Merav; Abu Hamed, Ramzia; Korin, Calanit; Gabriella, Levi; Adler-Vallach, Katia; Tarasula, Natalia; Hamad, Mahgna; Wang, Zemer; et al. (2021-04-09). "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial". papers.ssrn.com. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3745115.
  25. ^ Zilberman-Itskovich, Shani; Catalogna, Merav; Sasson, Efrat; Elman-Shina, Karin; Hadanny, Amir; Lang, Erez; Finci, Shachar; Polak, Nir; Fishlev, Gregory; Korin, Calanit; Shorer, Ran; Parag, Yoav; Sova, Marina; Efrati, Shai (2022-07-12). "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves neurocognitive functions and symptoms of post-COVID condition: randomized controlled trial". nature.com. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-15565-0. PMC 9276805.
  26. ^ Leitman, Marina; Fuchs, Shmuel; Tyomkin, Vladimir; Hadanny, Amir; Zilberman-Itskovich, Shani; Efrati, Shai (2023-06-10). "The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on myocardial function in post-COVID-19 syndrome patients: a randomized controlled trial". nature.com. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-36570-x. PMC 10257166.
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