What Researchers Did
Researchers studied how nitrogen narcosis affected reaction time and brain activity (P300 latency) in ten subjects breathing different gas mixtures at various pressures in a hyperbaric chamber.
What They Found
The study found that both reaction time and P300 latency-a measure of brain processing speed-slowed down significantly when subjects breathed hyperbaric air at 6.5, 8.3, and 10 ATA, but not when they breathed heliox. This slowing was dose-related, meaning it increased with higher pressure, suggesting P300 latency can indicate nitrogen narcosis.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted by Canadian authors and contributes to the understanding of physiological responses in hyperbaric environments, particularly nitrogen narcosis.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its small sample size of ten subjects, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.