As we all know that
stroke is still a leading cause of death and acquired disability. Etiological treatment and brain protection are equally important. This review aimed to summarize the advance of normobaric-
hyperoxia (NBHO) on brain protection in the setting of experimental
stroke and
brain trauma. We analyzed the data from relevant studies published on PubMed Central (PMC) and EMBASE, about NBHO on brain protection in the setting of experimental ischemic and
hemorrhagic strokes and
brain trauma, which revealed that NBHO had important value on improving
hypoxia and attenuating
ischemia damage. The mechanisms of NBHO involved increasing the content of
oxygen in brain tissues, restoring the function of mitochondria, enhancing the metabolism of neurons, alleviating blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage, weakening brain cell
edema, reducing intracranial pressure, and improving cerebral blood flow, especially in the surrounding of injured area of the brain, to make the neurons in penumbral area alive. Compared to hyperbaric
oxygen (HBO), NBHO is more safe and more easily to transform to clinical use, whereby, further studies about the safety and efficacy as well as the proper treatment protocol of NBHO on human may be still needed.