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Training Rats to Voluntarily Dive Underwater: Investigations of the Mammalian Diving Response
Published on: November 12, 2014
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Brain damage in commercial breath-hold divers
Kiyotaka Kohshi1, Hideki Tamaki2, Frédéric Lemaître3
1Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Health, University Hospital of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan.
Plos One
|August 14, 2014
Summary
Long-term breath-hold divers show brain lesions on MRI, indicating a risk of injury. This study highlights potential long-term neurological health impacts for these athletes.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Diving Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Acute decompression illness (DCI) can cause serious brain damage.
- Cerebral DCI affects both compressed air and breath-hold divers.
- Repeated brain injuries, symptomatic or not, may occur in breath-hold divers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain damage in long-term commercial breath-hold divers using MRI.
- To determine the prevalence of brain lesions in this population.
Main Methods:
- 12 commercial breath-hold divers (Ama) with extensive diving histories were studied.
- Diving practices and medical history, including DCI events, were recorded.
- All participants underwent MRI scans to identify brain lesions.
Main Results:
- 11 out of 12 divers showed ischemic brain lesions on MRI.
- Lesions were found in cortical/subcortical areas, white matter, basal ganglia, and thalamus.
- Four divers reported prior cerebral DCI events; two had subdural fluid collections.
Conclusions:
- Commercial breath-hold diving poses a risk of clinical or subclinical brain injury.
- These injuries may have long-term consequences for divers' neuropsychological health.
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