title: Magnetic resonance imaging and neuropathology findings in the goat nervous system following hyperbaric exposures.
abstract: Divers may be at risk of long-term CNS damage from non-symptomatic hyperbaric exposure. We investigated the effect of severe, controlled hyperbaric exposure on a group of healthy goats with similar histories. Thirty goats were exposed to various dive profiles over a period of 5 years, with 17 experiencing decompression sickness (DCS). Brains were scanned using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques. The animals were then culled and grossly examined, with the brain and spinal cord sent for neuropathological examination. No significant correlation was found between age, years diving, DCS or exposure to pressure with MR-detectable lesions in the brain, or with neuropathological lesions in the brain or spinal cord. However, spinal scarring was noted in 3 animals that had suffered from spinal DCS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Blogg
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Loveman
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Seddon
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Woodger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gennser
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006041:Goats; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000473:pathology*; D009488:Neurosciences; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein