title: A new measure of decompression sickness in the rat.
abstract: In this study we assessed the reliability of a tilting-board grip score as a measure of decompression sickness in rats. In experiments using a hyperbaric compression/decompression protocol, rats were observed for signs of decompression sickness and their grip strength measured on a tilting particle board hinged to a metal frame. Angles at which rats lost grip were converted to gravitational vectors. Decreased mean grip scores following decompression were fitted to a logistic regression model with strain, age, and weight. Decrease in grip score was significantly associated with observed decompression sickness (P = 0.0036). The log odds ratio for decompression sickness = 1.40 (decrease in grip score). In rats with no decrease in mean grip score there was a 50% probability of decompression sickness (pDCS). This increased steadily with decreases in mean grip score. A decrease of 0.3 had a 60% pDCS, a decrease of 0.6 had a 70% pDCS, and a decrease of 2.1 had a 95% pDCS. The tilting board grip score is a reliable measure of the probability of decompression sickness.
authors: Laboratoire Optimisation des Régulations Physiologiques (ORPhy), UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 avenue Le Gorgeu, CS 93837, 29200 Brest Cedex 3, France.
authors: Peter
authors: 0000-0002-5926-1374
authors: P
authors: Buzzacott
authors: Laboratoire Optimisation des Régulations Physiologiques (ORPhy), UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 avenue Le Gorgeu, CS 93837, 29200 Brest Cedex 3, France.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: 0000-0002-9997-3405
authors: A
authors: Mazur
authors: Laboratoire Optimisation des Régulations Physiologiques (ORPhy), UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 avenue Le Gorgeu, CS 93837, 29200 Brest Cedex 3, France.
authors: Qiong
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Laboratoire Optimisation des Régulations Physiologiques (ORPhy), UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 avenue Le Gorgeu, CS 93837, 29200 Brest Cedex 3, France.
authors: Kate
authors: K
authors: Lambrechts
authors: Laboratoire Optimisation des Régulations Physiologiques (ORPhy), UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 avenue Le Gorgeu, CS 93837, 29200 Brest Cedex 3, France.
authors: Michael
authors: 0000-0002-3338-5205
authors: M
authors: Theron
authors: Laboratoire Optimisation des Régulations Physiologiques (ORPhy), UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 avenue Le Gorgeu, CS 93837, 29200 Brest Cedex 3, France.
authors: Jacques
authors: J
authors: Mansourati
authors: Laboratoire Optimisation des Régulations Physiologiques (ORPhy), UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 avenue Le Gorgeu, CS 93837, 29200 Brest Cedex 3, France.
authors: François
authors: 0000-0002-0283-3503
authors: F
authors: Guerrero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D053580:Muscle Strength; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar