Vaernes R J, Kløve H, Ellertsen B
Norwegian Underwater Technology Centre (NUTEC) A/S, Bergen.
Undersea Biomed Res. 1989 May;16(3):233-51.
Neuropsychologic status of saturation divers was assessed before and after 300-500 msw dives (deep saturation diving--DSD group) and before and after 3.5 yr of ordinary saturation diving (saturation diving--SD group). Average baseline results showed the divers to be slightly superior to nondiving controls. Mild-to-moderate neuropsychologic changes (greater than 10% impairment) were found in measures of tremor, spatial memory, vigilance, and automatic reactivity in 20% of the divers after deep dives (DSD group). One year postdive no recovery was observed except for a vigilance test. In the SD group, 20% of the divers showed greater than 10% impairment after 3.5 yr of ordinary saturation diving. Significant reduction in autonomic reactivity was also found and there was a relationship between low autonomic reactivity before saturation diving and number of greater than 10% impairments. For the whole group (DSD + SD divers), negative correlations were found between saturation experience and results on memory and complex visuomotor tests. Years of diving from first to last examination was positively correlated with number of greater than 10% impairments and with reduction in autonomic reactivity. No similar correlations were found to dive variables after about 3 yr of air diving. The mild-to-moderate changes seen in some divers, therefore, seem to be the effects of saturation diving. Since one deep dive may cause an effect similar to the effect of 3.5 yr of ordinary saturation diving, there is reason to believe that repeated deep diving may lead to more pronounced neuropsychologic impairment.
对饱和潜水员在300 - 500米海水深度潜水前后（深度饱和潜水——DSD组）以及在普通饱和潜水3.5年后前后（饱和潜水——SD组）的神经心理状态进行了评估。平均基线结果显示，潜水员略优于非潜水对照组。在深度潜水后，20%的潜水员（DSD组）在震颤、空间记忆、警觉性和自动反应性测量中出现了轻度至中度神经心理变化（损伤大于10%）。潜水后一年，除了一项警觉性测试外，未观察到恢复情况。在SD组中，20%的潜水员在普通饱和潜水3.5年后出现了大于10%的损伤。还发现自主反应性显著降低，并且饱和潜水前低自主反应性与大于10%损伤的数量之间存在关联。对于整个组（DSD + SD潜水员），在饱和潜水经验与记忆和复杂视觉运动测试结果之间发现了负相关。从首次检查到最后一次检查的潜水年限与大于10%损伤的数量以及自主反应性降低呈正相关。在进行约3年空气潜水后，未发现与潜水变量有类似的相关性。因此，一些潜水员出现的轻度至中度变化似乎是饱和潜水的影响。由于一次深度潜水可能产生与3.5年普通饱和潜水类似的效果，有理由相信反复深度潜水可能导致更明显的神经心理损伤。
