Cognitive performance over 7 days in a distressed submarine.
BACKGROUND
This article contains the results from a psychological assessment of submariners undergoing a survival trial simulating conditions in a disabled submarine. The aim was to determine whether the environmental conditions and rations in a submarine escape compartment had any detrimental effects on cognitive performance.


METHODS
The study was conducted in an environmental chamber in which the temperature fell from 22 degrees C to 4.4 degrees C over 2 d and then remained at 4.4 C for 5 d. Of the 11 subjects who were given daily rations of 100 g of barley sugar and 568 ml of water (none on day 1), only 4 remained for the full trial duration. Subjects were administered 2 psychometric tests (choice reaction time and short term memory) on hand held computers.


RESULTS
Results showed that subjects did not exhibit any significant performance decrements during the experimental phase of the trial. However anecdotal evidence from observations and subjects' self reports suggest that sustained performance was impaired.
Slaven
G M
GM
Institute of Naval Medicine, Gosport, Hants, United Kingdom.
Windle
C M
CM
D003020:Clothing; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D013217:Starvation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D013366:Submarine Medicine; D013534:Survival / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom