http://www.ranchforyouth.com/

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I'm not sure what a "commercially manufactured oxygen rebreather mask" is, but in my time, they were simply a non-rebreathing mask with the little one-way seal rubber flange removed. The mask doesn't make a tight seal on the face, and even has built-in ventilation holes. For a panic attack, I bet they aren't as effective as a paper bag, but they sure are a fancier sort of treatment and easier to use for someone in the emergency room. Used in the described "mask-therapy" context, with this sort of non-rebreather, I wonder whether the effect is any more than would be breathing into a cupped hand in front of the mouth and nose.

There are acute physiological effects of controlled breathing and I appreciate Dr. Laidler's right-shift refresher. I wonder if maybe the mask-therapy exercise could be a way to get children who begin to act hyper to stop and take a breath. But, as routine therapy, I am skeptical that it can demonstrate all the list of things that they say it does.

In gradeschool (that's "grade", not "grad"), I had teachers who would periodically have a rambunctious class be silent for 1-2 minutes with head and arms down on the desk. Otherwise, I think there are methods incorporated into child rearing that are every bit as effective as therapist-based "mask therapy", without the added expense, gadgetry, or health risks.

N-, Registered Respiratory Therapist

BTW, did I ever tell about the time I cured my hiccups with 100% CO2? There was CO2 in a H-tank in the PFT lab. One day when I had some severe hiccups for several hours, I bled a little CO2 into a plastic sandwich bag. I put it up to my mouth and nose and took a tiny little test sniff. Instantly, my sinuses burned to the back of spine, my ears caught fire, and my eyes teared up. It took several seconds to recover, but my hiccups were gone. Since then, I've found the amount of CO2 off a newly opened 7-up can usually does the trick.