פרופ' יצחק שי אפרתי

Shai Efrati, MD, is an associate professor at the Sackler School of Medicine and the Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. He also serves as director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research and the Head of the Nephrology Unite at Shamir Medical Center (formerly Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center) in Israel. Under his leadership, The Sagol Center has become one of the largest hyperbaric medicine centers in the world, currently treating more than 200 patients daily. Efrati received his M.D. from Ben Gurion University in 2000, and completed his residency at Shamir Medical Center, specializing in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Since 2005, Efrati has served as the Head of Research and Development unit at Shamir Medical Center, and since 2014, he is the director of the Nephrology department

 

Efrati also completed training in diving and hyperbaric medicine at the Israel Naval Institute in Haifa. At 2008, Prof. Efrati became the Director of Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research. In addition, since 2008, Efrati has served as chairman of the Israeli Society for Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine.

 

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

Professor Efrati’s research focuses on the effects of HBOT on physiology and various brain pathologies. He has conducted both preclinical and clinical studies for stroke, traumatic brain injury, post-concussion syndrome, fibromyalgia syndrome, and most recently, the aging-associated functional decline and post-COVID. Ongoing research projects include the effects of HBOT on severe emotional trauma and PTSD.

The preclinical studies focus on the mechanisms of HBOT including the normalization of mitochondrial function, stem cell migration and differentiation, angiogenesis, neurogenesis, anti-inflammatory effects, recovery of renal function after acute kidney injuries and hypertension.  

Cognitive Performance and Aging

Hadanny Amir, Daniel-Kotovsky Malka, Suzin Gil, Boussi-Gross Rahav, Catalogna Merav, Dagan Kobi, Hachmo Yafit, Abu Hamed Ramzia, Sasson Efrat, Fishlev Gregory, Lang Erez, Polak Nir, Doenyas Keren, Friedman Mony, Tal Sigal, Zemel Yonatan, Bechor Yair, Efrati Shai.
Cognitive enhancement of healthy older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial
Aging. June 26, 2020
 

Yafit Hachmo, Amir Hadanny, Ramzia Abu Hamed, Malka Daniel-Kotovsky, Merav Catalogna, Gregory Fishlev, Erez Lang, Nir Polak, Keren Doenyas, Mony Friedman, Yonatan Zemel, Yair Bechor, Shai Efrati.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial
Aging. November 18, 2020

 

Ronit Shapira, Amos Gdalyahu, Irit Gottfried, Efrat Sasson, Amir Hadanny, Shai Efrati, Pablo Blinder, Uri Ashery. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy alleviates vascular dysfunction and amyloid burden in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model and in elderly patients

Aging. September 9, 2021

 

Karin Elman-Shina and Shai Efrati
Ischemia as a common trigger for Alzheimer’s disease
Aging Neuroscience., 26, September 2022

Hadanny, A., M. Rittblat, M. Bitterman, I. May-Raz, G. Suzin, R. Boussi-Gross, Y. Zemel, M. Catalogna, and S. Efrati.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves neurocognitive functions of post-stroke patients–a retrospective analysis.  
Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience Preprint (2020): 1-15.

Shapira, R., S. Efrati, and U. Ashery.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as a New Treatment Approach for Alzheimer's Disease.  
Neural Regen Res 13, no. 5 (May 2018): 817-18.

Shapira, R., B. Solomon, S. Efrati, D. Frenkel, and U. Ashery.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Ameliorates Pathophysiology of 3xtg-Ad Mouse Model by Attenuating Neuroinflammation.
Neurobiol Aging 62 (Feb 2018): 105-19.
 

Vadas, D., L. Kalichman, A. Hadanny, and S. Efrati.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Environment Can Enhance Brain Activity and Multitasking Performance.
Front Integr Neurosci 11 (2017): 25.

 

 

Traumatic Brain Injury & Post Concussion

Boussi-Gross, R., H. Golan, G. Fishlev, Y. Bechor, O. Volkov, J. Bergan, M. Friedman, D. Hoofien, N. Shlamkovitch, E. Ben-Jacob, and S. Efrati.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Improve Post Concussion Syndrome Years after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury - Randomized Prospective Trial.
PLoS One 8, no. 11 (2013): e79995.

Efrati, S. and E. Ben-Jacob.
Reflections on the Neurotherapeutic Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen.
Expert Rev Neurother 14, no. 3 (Mar 2014): 233-6.

Hadanny, A., S. Abbott, G. Suzin, Y. Bechor, and S. Efrati.
Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Chronic Neurocognitive Deficits of Post-Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: Retrospective Analysis.
BMJ Open 8, no. 9 (Sep 28 2018): e023387.

Amir Hadanny, Merav Catalogna, Slava Yaniv, Orit Stolar, Lynn Rothstein, Adi Shabi, Gil Suzin, Efrat Sasson, Erez Lang, Shachar Finci, Nir Polak, Gregory Fishlev, Ruth Tock Harpaz, Moran Adler, Ron-El Goldman, Yonatan Zemel, Yair Bechor & Shai Efrati 
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in children with post-concussion syndrome improves cognitive and behavioral function: a randomized controlled trial
Scientific Reports volume 12, Article number: 15223 (2022)

 

Hadanny, A. and S. Efrati.
Treatment of Persistent Post-Concussion Syndrome Due to Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Current Status and Future Directions.
Expert Rev Neurother 16, no. 8 (Aug 2016): 875-87.

Hadanny, A., H. Golan, G. Fishlev, Y. Bechor, O. Volkov, G. Suzin, E. Ben-Jacob, and S. Efrati.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Can Induce Neuroplasticity and Improve Cognitive Functions of Patients Suffering from Anoxic Brain Damage.
Restor Neurol Neurosci 33, no. 4 (2015): 471-86.

Tal, S., A. Hadanny, N. Berkovitz, E. Sasson, E. Ben-Jacob, and S. Efrati.
Hyperbaric Oxygen May Induce Angiogenesis in Patients Suffering from Prolonged Post-Concussion Syndrome Due to Traumatic Brain Injury.
Restor Neurol Neurosci 33, no. 6 (2015): 943-51.

Tal, S., A. Hadanny, E. Sasson, G. Suzin, and S. Efrati.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Induce Angiogenesis and Regeneration of Nerve Fibers in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients.
Front Hum Neurosci 11 (2017): 508.

 

Post-COVID

Shani Zilberman-Itskovich, Merav Catalogna, Efrat Sasson, Karin Elman-Shina, Amir Hadanny, Erez Lang, Shachar Finci, Nir Polak, Gregory Fishlev, Calanit Korin, Ran Shorer, Yoav Parag, Marina Sova & Shai Efrati
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves neurocognitive functions and symptoms of post-COVID condition: randomized controlled trial
Scientific Reports volume 12, Article number: 11252 (2022)

 

Amir Hadanny, Shachar Finci, Merav Catalogna, Ramzia Abu Hamed, Calanit Korin, Levi Gabriella, Katia Adler-Vallach, Natalia Tarasula, Mahgna Hamad, Zemer Wang, Erez Lang, Yonatan Zemel, Yair Bechor, Noami Rahimi-Levene, Yonatan Shapira, Oleg Gorelik, Irma Tzur, Eduard Ilgiyaev, Avi Mizrachi, Eli Shiloah, Yasmin Maor, Osnat Lev-Zion Korach, Shai Efrati.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial
9 Apr 2021

 

Post Stroke Patients

Boussi-Gross, R., H. Golan, O. Volkov, Y. Bechor, D. Hoofien, M. S. Beeri, E. Ben-Jacob, and S. Efrati.
Improvement of Memory Impairments in Poststroke Patients by Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
Neuropsychology 29, no. 4 (Jul 2015): 610-21.

Efrati, S., G. Fishlev, Y. Bechor, O. Volkov, J. Bergan, K. Kliakhandler, I. Kamiager, N. Gal, M. Friedman, E. Ben-Jacob, and H. Golan.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Induces Late Neuroplasticity in Post Stroke Patients--Randomized, Prospective Trial.
PLoS One 8, no. 1 (2013): e53716.

 

Chronic Pain Syndrome- Fibromyalgia

Ablin, J. N., S. Efrati, and D. Buskila.
Building up the Pressure on Chronic Pain.
Clin Exp Rheumatol 34, no. 2 Suppl 96 (Mar-Apr 2016): S3-5.

 

Efrati, S., H. Golan, Y. Bechor, Y. Faran, S. Daphna-Tekoah, G. Sekler, G. Fishlev, J. N. Ablin, J. Bergan, O. Volkov, M. Friedman, E. Ben-Jacob, and D. Buskila.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Diminish Fibromyalgia Syndrome--Prospective Clinical Trial.
PLoS One 10, no. 5 (2015): e0127012.

 

Efrati, S., A. Hadanny, S. Daphna-Tekoah, Y. Bechor, K. Tiberg, N. Pik, G. Suzin, and R. Lev-Wiesel.
Recovery of Repressed Memories in Fibromyalgia Patients Treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen - Case Series Presentation and Suggested Bio-Psycho-Social Mechanism.
Front Psychol 9 (2018): 848.

Hadanny, A., Y. Bechor, M. Catalogna, S. Daphna-Tekoah, T. Sigal, M. Cohenpour, R. Lev-Wiesel, and S. Efrati.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Induce Neuroplasticity and Significant Clinical Improvement in Patients Suffering from Fibromyalgia with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse-Randomized Controlled Trial.
Front Psychol 9 (2018): 2495.

Lev-Wiesel, R., Y. Bechor, S. Daphna-Tekoah, A. Hadanny, and S. Efrati.
Brain and Mind Integration: Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors Experiencing Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment and Psychotherapy Concurrently.
Front Psychol 9 (2018): 2535.

 

Athletes Performance

Hadanny A, Hachmo Y, Rozali D, Catalogna M, Yaakobi E, Sova M, Gattegno H, Abu Hamed R, Lang E, Polak N, Friedman M, Finci S, Zemel Y, Bechor Y, Gal N, Efrati S.Sports Med Open.
Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Mitochondrial Respiration and Physical Performance in Middle-Aged Athletes: A Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial.
2022 Feb 8;8(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s40798-021-00403-w.PMID: 35133516

 

Myocardial Dysfunction

Leitman, M., S. Efrati, S. Fuchs, A. Hadanny, Z. and Vered.
The effect of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy on myocardial function. 
The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging (Jan 2020).

 

 

Erectile Dysfunction

Hadanny, A., E. Lang, L. Copel, O. Meir, Y. Bechor, G. Fishlev, J. Bergan, M. Friedman, A. Zisman, and S. Efrati.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Can Induce Angiogenesis and Recover Erectile Function.
Int J Impot Res 30, no. 6 (Nov 2018): 292-99.

 

 

Safety of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

Hadanny A, Zubari T, Tamir-Adler L, Bechor Y, Fishlev G, Lang E, Polak N, Bergan J, Friedman M, Efrati S
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy effects on pulmonary functions: a prospective cohort study
​BMC Pulmonary Medicine volume 19, Article number: 148 (2019)

 

Hadanny, A., O. Meir, Y. Bechor, G. Fishlev, J. Bergan, and S. Efrati.
The Safety of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment--Retrospective Analysis in 2,334 Patients.
Undersea Hyperb Med 43, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 2016): 113-22.

 

Hadanny, A., O. Meir, Y. Bechor, G. Fishlev, J. Bergan, and S. Efrati.
Seizures During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Retrospective Analysis of 62,614 Treatment Sessions.
Undersea Hyperb Med 43, no. 1 (Jan-Feb 2016): 21-8.