When neuroscience gets wet and hardcore: neurocognitive markers obtained during whole body water immersion

Schneider, Stefan; Cheung, Jeffrey J. H.; Frick, Hosea; Krehan, Sebastian; Micke, Florian; Sauer, Marc; Dalecki, Marc; Dern, Sebastian

doi:10.1007/s00221-014-4019-5

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Nevertheless, working memory performance scores did not decrease. Rather, this factor proved to be robust against unique environmental testing (i.e., shallow-water depths), which is also in line with other findings involving shallow-water submersion (Schneider et al, 2014; Steinberg & Doppelmayr, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Physical Exercise Intensity During Submersion Selectively Affects Executive Functions

Möller¹,

Hoffmann

Dalecki

et al. 2019

Hum Factors

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Objective: The intact cognitive processing capacity in highly demanding and dynamically changing situations (e.g., in extreme environmental conditions) is of central relevance for personal safety. This study therefore investigated whether underwater physical exercise (PE) affected cognitive performance by comparing these effects during underwater fin-swimming as opposed to inactivity under normal environmental conditions. Background: Although acute bouts of PE can modulate cognitive performance under highly controlled and standardized laboratory conditions, no previous study has determined whether PE acutely modulates cognitive performance in non-laboratory testing conditions involving extreme environments (e.g., underwater). Method: A total of 27 healthy volunteers (16 males and 11 females; 28.9 ± 7.4 years of age) participated in two experiments involving either moderate or high PE intensity. A PRE/POST crossover design was employed among participants while performing cognitive tests in a counterbalanced order (i.e., before and after 20 min of PE in submersion [WET] and once before and after inactivity [DRY] while in the laboratory). Cognitive performance was measured as a combination of executive functions through the Eriksen Flanker (inhibition) and Two-Back (working memory) Tasks using an underwater tablet computer. Results: ANOVAs revealed enhanced reaction times only in the Flanker test after moderate PE for the WET condition. No other effects were detected. Conclusion: These findings indicate that cognitive performance is exercise-intensity-dependent with enhanced effects during moderate PE, even in extreme environments (i.e., underwater). Application: These results should be relevant in recreational and occupational contexts involving underwater activity and may also apply to microgravity (e.g., during extra-vehicular activities). Description This study compared the acute effects of physical exercise (PE) on cognitive performance in an underwater environment while participants fin-swam with SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) gear. Findings revealed that 20 min of moderate PE positively affected cognitive performance (i.e., inhibitory control ability). However, no changes were observed after high-intensity exercise.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Physical Exercise Intensity During Submersion Selectively Affects Executive Functions

Möller¹,

Hoffmann

Dalecki

et al. 2019

Hum Factors

Self Cite

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“…Nevertheless, it appears that new avenues for IGN research in the field from a neuroscientific perspective is necessary by combining behavioral measures, recent developments in wireless electroencephalography (EEG) devices, and further objectives measures such as the CFFF. This might provide new insights into this field of research when technical advancements allow water-proof measurements, which has already been demonstrated with EEG (Schneider et al, 2014). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Executive Functions of Divers Are Selectively Impaired at 20-Meter Water Depth

Steinberg

Doppelmayr

2017

Front. Psychol.

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Moving and acting underwater within recreational or occupational activities require intact executive functions, since they subserve higher cognitive functions such as successful self-regulation, coping with novel situations, and decision making; all of which could be influenced by nitrogen narcosis due to elevated partial pressure under water. However, specific executive functions that could provide a differentiated view on humans’ cognitive performance ability have not yet been systematically analyzed in full-water immersion, which is a research gap addressed within this approach to contribute to a better understanding of nitrogen narcosis. In this study, 20 young, healthy, and certified recreational divers participated and performed three different executive-function tests: the Stroop test (Inhibition), the Number/Letter test (Task switching), the 2-back test (Updating/Working memory), and a simple reaction time test (Psychomotor performance). These tests were performed once on land, at 5-meter (m) water depth, and at 20-meter (m) water depth of an indoor diving facility in standardized test conditions (26°C in all water depths). A water-proofed and fully operational tablet computer was used to present visual stimuli and to register reaction times. Performance of the simple reaction time test was not different between underwater and land testing, suggesting that reaction times were not biased by the utilization of the tablet in water immersion. Executive functions were not affected by the shallow water immersion of 5-m water depth. However, performance scores in 20-m water depth revealed a decreased performance in the incongruent test condition (i.e., an index of inhibitory control ability) of the Stroop test, while all other tests were unaffected. Even though only one out of the three tested cognitive domains was affected, the impairment of inhibitory control ability even in relatively shallow water of 20-m is a critical component that should be considered for diver’s safety, since inhibition is required in self-control requiring situations where impulsive and automatic behavior must be inhibited. Our interpretation of these selective impairments is based on a discussion suggesting that different neural networks within the central nervous system, which process specific executive functions, are affected differently by nitrogen narcosis.

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“…Whether this is due to narcosis or O 2 toxicity remains unanswered and warrants further investigation using independent measures of O 2 toxicity such as heart rate variability (24) and electroencephalography. Novel neuroscience techniques that employ detailed signal processing and mathematical modeling of EEG signals (12,19,71,79) may improve the measurement, the prediction, and ultimately the control of diving gas narcosis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the interaction of hyperbaric N₂, CO₂, and O₂ on psychomotor performance in divers

Freiberger

Derrick

Natoli

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Physiology

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Diving narcosis results from the complex interaction of gases, activities, and environmental conditions. We hypothesized that these interactions could be separated into their component parts. Where previous studies have tested single cognitive tasks sequentially, we varied inspired partial pressures of CO, N, and O in immersed, exercising subjects while assessing multitasking performance with the Multi-Attribute Task Battery II (MATB-II) flight simulator. Cognitive performance was tested under 20 conditions of gas partial pressure and exercise in 42 male subjects meeting U.S. Navy age and fitness profiles. Inspired nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) partial pressures were 0, 4.5, and 5.6 ATA and 0.21, 1.0, and 1.22 ATA, respectively, at rest and during 100-W immersed exercise with and without 0.075-ATA CO Linear regression modeled the association of gas partial pressure with task performance while controlling for exercise, hypercapnic ventilatory response, dive training, video game frequency, and age. Subjects served as their own controls. Impairment of memory, attention, and planning, but not motor tasks, was associated with N partial pressures >4.5 ATA. Sea level O at 0.925 ATA partially rescued motor and memory reaction time impaired by 0.075-ATA CO; however, at hyperbaric pressures an unexpectedly strong interaction between CO, N, and exercise caused incapacitating narcosis with amnesia, which was augmented by O Perception of narcosis was not correlated with actual scores. The relative contributions of factors associated with diving narcosis will be useful to predict the effects of gas mixtures and exercise conditions on the cognitive performance of divers. The O effects are consistent with O narcosis or enhanced O toxicity.

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When neuroscience gets wet and hardcore: neurocognitive markers obtained during whole body water immersion

Cited by 12 publications

References 13 publications

Physical Exercise Intensity During Submersion Selectively Affects Executive Functions

Physical Exercise Intensity During Submersion Selectively Affects Executive Functions

Executive Functions of Divers Are Selectively Impaired at 20-Meter Water Depth

Assessment of the interaction of hyperbaric N₂, CO₂, and O₂ on psychomotor performance in divers

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When neuroscience gets wet and hardcore: neurocognitive markers obtained during whole body water immersion

Cited by 12 publications

References 13 publications

Physical Exercise Intensity During Submersion Selectively Affects Executive Functions

Physical Exercise Intensity During Submersion Selectively Affects Executive Functions

Executive Functions of Divers Are Selectively Impaired at 20-Meter Water Depth

Assessment of the interaction of hyperbaric N2, CO2, and O2 on psychomotor performance in divers

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Assessment of the interaction of hyperbaric N₂, CO₂, and O₂ on psychomotor performance in divers