Abstract
When people work at deep sea locations, they are always exposed to hyperbaric environments. For example, an environmental pressure of 440 MSW (meters of sea water) is equivalent to 45 times the atmospheric pressure (45 ATA: atm absolute). In this study, we examine the effects of long-term exposure to hyperbaric environments on cognitive performance using the Stroop and the reverse-Stroop Color-Word interference tests (group version) and two psychological stress questionnaires. These tests were administrated during a simulated 440 MSW saturation dive. Twenty-four professional male divers (age: 36±2.82) served as the participants. The level of Stroop interference during the dive period was highest at the maximum environmental pressure. In contrast, psychological stress was not detected throughout the dive. These results indicate that the magnitude of environmental pressure rather than psychological stress caused the increase in Stroop interference. We argue that cognitive impairment under hyperbaric environments is caused by the magnitude of the environmental pressure, rather than psychological stress.
