title: Effects of hyperbaric nitrogen-induced narcosis on response-selection processes.
abstract: Certain underwater circumstances carry risk of inert gas narcosis. Impairment of sensorimotor information processing due to narcosis, induced by normobaric nitrous oxide or high partial nitrogen pressure, has been broadly evidenced, by a lengthening of the reaction time (RT). However, the locus of this effect remains a matter of debate. We examined whether inert gas narcosis affects the response-selection stage of sensorimotor information processing. We compared an air normobaric condition with a hyperbaric condition in which 10 subjects were subjected to 6 absolute atmospheres of 8.33% O2 Nitrox. In both conditions, subjects performed a between-hand choice-RT task in which we explicitly manipulated the stimulus-response association rule. The effect of this manipulation (which is supposed to affect response-selection processes) was modified by inert gas narcosis. It is concluded, therefore, that response selection processes are among the loci involved in the effect of inert gas narcosis on information processing.
authors.affiliation: a Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées - ERRSO , Boulevard Saint-Anne BP 20545, 83041 Toulon Cedex 09 , France.
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meckler
authors.forename: Jean-Eric
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Blatteau
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasbroucq
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Risso
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vidal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000399:Air Pressure; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D004242:Diving; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007222:Inert Gas Narcosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D009326:Naval Medicine; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: C041364:nitrox; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen