The Effect of 20 Minutes Scuba Diving on Cognitive Function of Professional Scuba Divers

[DocVikingo]

(Cut & paste) --> file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/asjsm-07-03-38633.pdf

Cheers,

DocVikingo

PS: Given the summary paragraph: "In conclusion, since the cognitive function is changed with variable factors, in this study the effects of diving were evaluated. It seems that a scuba dive may decrease brain cognitive function for a short time after diving. Based on our data, it can be concluded that after the diving response rate is low and it’s better that divers immediately refrain from doing something with high attention after diving," perhaps it's a good thing that I don't do anything more cognitively challenging that down a shot or two of tequila.

 

[ScubaJill]

Try this link:
The Effect of 20 Minutes Scuba Diving on Cognitive Function of Professional Scuba Divers

12 healthy, young, professional male divers each conducted a 20-minute dive to approximately 10 meters. Slower response time to basic cognitive tests and higher cortisol levels when compared to pre-dive tests. No information on the dive conditions, if they dived as a group, and how the researchers are defining "professional." The mean of the group on these various tests is statistically significant, but the range wasn't provided, which would have been interesting to see.

Anyone in the DC area want to replicate it? I can reach out to the researchers in Iran and get more information on the participants, dive conditions, a more detailed methodology of administering the PASAT. And get someone to donate the funds to buy ELISA kits.

I wonder how diving is in Iran.

 

[DevonDiver]

I'm not sure how to use your C: drive link?

Is there a version to download online?

I really want to read this article.

 

[DevonDiver]

Problem solved... THANKS @ScubaJill

 

[high/baric]

Not sure how surprising the results are, but I found the participant height range of -1.71 to 5.29 meters most astonishing

Seriously though, it would have been even more interesting if they had repeated the tests to see how long lasting the effect is. Maybe we'll get to see that in another study some day.

Edit: okay, in fact the study linked by Devon below addresses this in a way.

 

[DevonDiver]

It's interesting. There's another study that attributed a decrease in post-dive cognition to the persistence of narcosis...

Does Nitrogen Narcosis Impairment Persist?

 

[RyanT]

Hmm, I'm a tad skeptical of this study. The authors claim significant declines in cognitive performance, but actual changes are pretty small. For example, the pre and post number of correct response averages declined from about 48 to 43. The error bars on this also look like they overlap. More so, look at the change in response times. Post dive, they increased from about 1.6 sec to about 1.8 sec. I have to wonder if this is really meaningful? Finally, given such a small sample size, it's hard to image their statistical test had enough power to detect differences this small. They also didn't say what the divers did during the dive. Did they hang motionless or exercise?

With that said, I do find the study interesting and perhaps their cleanest result was that cortisol levels (stress hormone) were increased. I have to wonder if the elevated cort level is an effect of diving per se or specifically climbing out of the water. After floating weightless on a dive, I often feel super relaxed until I have to climb out of the water wearing my gear. It would be cool if they could take cort samples at the end of he dive, prior to getting out of the water.

 

[high/baric]

I wasn't going to start picking this "study" apart, but in case someone is trying to take something away from reading it, I'll just add a couple of things to the above post. This study does not have any randomization or blinding (which are both requirements for quality scientific research). There is no numerical presentation of the confidence values and the bars on the graph are placed so far from each other that it is almost impossible to assess without a ruler or some similar aid. I personally would have found this a little more compelling if they had randomised the participants to two groups, one diving and one swimming or floating on the surface (depending on the activity of the diving group) in diving gear and preferably breathing through the regulator. That way, in addition to climbing out of the water in diving gear like RyanT mentioned, also things like immersion and breathing through a regulator would have been normalised to some extent and effects of being at depth could have been evaluated a little more reliably. Blinding could have easily been achieved in this setting when testing the participants. I'll have to give them that at least they interpreted the results with due reservation.