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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Training Rats to Voluntarily Dive Underwater: Investigations of the Mammalian Diving Response
Published on: November 12, 2014
Neurological disorders after repetitive breath-hold diving
Emmanuel Gempp1, Jean-Eric Blatteau
1G.P.D. Méditerranéé. gempp@voila.fr
Abstract:
We report a case of transient neurological disorder compatible with cerebral decompression illness in a breath-hold diver. A large right-to-left shunt was later detected with contrast transcranial Doppler ultrasound. While the mechanism of brain damage is unclear, this observation highlights the need for breath-hold divers to avoid excessive nitrogen loading and to refrain from forceful Valsalva maneuvers that may contribute to the opening of a patent foramen ovale and lead to paradoxical cerebral embolism. Because decompression illness is a possibility, anyone who experiences unusual symptoms after breath-hold diving should seek immediate medical attention.
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