What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on a Japanese professional breath-hold diver who developed brain injuries after repeated deep dives.
What They Found
A Japanese breath-hold diver experienced numbness and double vision after over two hours of repetitive dives to 22 meters, with 40-80 second dives and 20-30 second surface intervals. MRI scans revealed multiple brain infarcts, including one in the brainstem. The study suggests that repeated deep breath-hold dives with short surface intervals may lead to serious or fatal accidents.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers a condition (diving injury leading to neurological damage, potentially related to decompression sickness) that falls under a Health Canada-recognised indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a case report, this study describes the experience of only one individual, meaning its findings cannot be generalized to all divers.