Gutenberg Open Science: Executive functions of divers are selectively impaired at 20-meter water depth

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-7867

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DC Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Steinberg, Fabian	-
dc.contributor.author	Doppelmayr, Michael	-
dc.date.accessioned	2022-10-06T07:12:42Z	-
dc.date.available	2022-10-06T07:12:42Z	-
dc.date.issued	2017
dc.identifier.uri	https://openscience.ub.uni-mainz.de/handle/20.500.12030/7882	-
dc.description.abstract	Moving and acting underwater within recreational or occupational activities requires 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 water depth, and at 20-meter 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-meter water depth. However, performance scores in 20-meter 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-Meters 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.	en_GB
dc.description.sponsorship	DFG, Open Access-Publizieren Universität Mainz / Universitätsmedizin	de
dc.language.iso	eng	de
dc.rights	CC BY	*
dc.rights.uri	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/	*
dc.subject.ddc	150 Psychologie	de_DE
dc.subject.ddc	150 Psychology	en_GB
dc.title	Executive functions of divers are selectively impaired at 20-meter water depth	en_GB
dc.type	Zeitschriftenaufsatz	de
dc.identifier.doi	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-7867	-
jgu.type.dinitype	article	en_GB
jgu.type.version	Published version	de
jgu.type.resource	Text	de
jgu.organisation.department	FB 02 Sozialwiss., Medien u. Sport	de
jgu.organisation.number	7910	-
jgu.organisation.name	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz	-
jgu.rights.accessrights	openAccess	-
jgu.journal.title	Frontiers in psychology	de
jgu.journal.volume	8	de
jgu.pages.alternative	Art. 1000	de
jgu.publisher.year	2017	-
jgu.publisher.name	Frontiers Research Foundation	de
jgu.publisher.place	Lausanne	de
jgu.publisher.uri	http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01000	de
jgu.publisher.issn	1664-1078	de
jgu.organisation.place	Mainz	-
jgu.subject.ddccode	150	de
opus.date.modified	2017-08-21T09:22:54Z
opus.subject.dfgcode	00-000
opus.organisation.string	FB 02: Sozialwissenschaften, Medien und Sport: Institut für Sportwissenschaft	de_DE
opus.identifier.opusid	56929
opus.institute.number	0208
opus.metadataonly	false
opus.type.contenttype	Keine	de_DE
opus.type.contenttype	None	en_EN
opus.affiliated	Steinberg, Fabian
opus.affiliated	Doppelmayr, Michael
jgu.publisher.doi	10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01000	de
jgu.organisation.ror	https://ror.org/023b0x485	-
Appears in collections:	DFG-OA-Publizieren (2012 - 2017)

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