1. Effects of oxygen-enriched air on cognitive performance during SCUBA-diving – an open-water study
- Author
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Andreas Deussen, Henning Schmitz-Peiffer, Sinclair Cleveland, Costantino Balestra, Anne-Kathrin Brebeck, Ursula Range, Jochen Jd Schipke, Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, and Anatomical Research and Clinical Studies
- Subjects
Adult ,cognition ,Male ,Nitrox ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Psychometrics ,Nitrogen ,Diving ,Diving/physiology ,Oxygen/physiology ,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation ,Audiology ,050105 experimental psychology ,memory ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Double-Blind Method ,medicine ,Humans ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Orthopedics and Sports Medicine ,Prospective Studies ,Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance ,Nitrogen narcosis ,Aged ,Oxygen deficient ,05 social sciences ,Cognition ,030229 sport sciences ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Nitrogen/physiology ,Breathing gas ,Scuba diving ,Oxygen ,Alertness ,young adult ,Female ,Psychology ,human activities ,Social psychology - Abstract
Backround: Nitrogen narcosis impairs cognitive function, a fact relevant during SCUBA-diving. Oxygen-enriched air (nitrox) became popular in recreational diving, while evidence of its advantages over air is limited. AIM: Compare effects of nitrox28 and air on two psychometric tests. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind, open-water study, 108 advanced divers (38 females) were randomized to an air or a nitrox-group for a 60-min dive to 24 m salt water. Breathing gas effects on cognitive performance were assessed during the dive using a short- and long-term memory test and a number connection test. RESULTS: Nitrox28 divers made fewer mistakes only on the long-term memory test (p = 0.038). Female divers remembered more items than male divers (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the number connection test between the groups. CONCLUSION: Likely owing to the comparatively low N2 reduction and the conservative dive, beneficial nitrox28 effects to diver performance were moderate but could contribute to diving safety.
- Published
- 2017
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