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Impact of Five Weeks of Strengthening Under Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) or Supplemental Oxygen Breathing (Normobaric Hyperoxia) on the Medial Gastrocnemius
05 décembre 2024, Vervloet Grégory; Fregosi Lou; Gauthier Arthur; Grenot Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background and Objectives: This study investigates the effects of a five-week training program on the medial gastrocnemius muscle, comparing two approaches: blood flow restriction (BFR) training and normobaric hyperoxia (oxygen supplementation). It evaluates three strengthening modalities (dynamic, isometric, and the 3/7 method) analyzing their impact on maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), muscle ...
Oxy-Inflammation in Humans during Underwater Activities
06 mars 2024, Alessandra Vezzoli; Simona Mrakic-Sposta; Andrea Brizzolari; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Enrico Maria Camporesi; Gerardo Bosco,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Underwater activities are characterized by an imbalance between reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (RONS) and antioxidant mechanisms, which can be associated with an inflammatory response, depending on O(2) availability. This review explores the oxidative stress mechanisms and related inflammation status (Oxy-Inflammation) in underwater activities such as breath-hold (BH) diving, Self-Contained ...
Oxidative Stress and Cerebral Vascular Tone: The Role of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species
05 mars 2024, Michele Salvagno; Elda Diletta Sterchele; Mario Zaccarelli; Simona Mrakic-Sposta; Ian James Welsby; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Fabio Silvio Taccone,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
he brain's unique characteristics make it exceptionally susceptible to oxidative stress, which arises from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. This review explores the factors contributing to the brain's vascular tone's vulnerability in the presence of oxidative damage, which can be of clinical ...
Physiology of deep closed circuit rebreather mixed gas diving: vascular gas emboli and biological changes during a week-long liveaboard safari
01 mars 2024, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Leveque Clément; Mrakic-Sposta Simona; Wauthy Pierre; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Tillmans Frauke; Guerrero François; Lafere Pierre; Vezzoli Alessandra,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: Diving decompression theory hypothesizes inflammatory
processes as a source of micronuclei which could increase related risks.
Therefore, we tested 10 healthy, male divers. They performed 6–8 dives with
a maximum of two dives per day at depths ranging from 21 to 122 msw with CCR
mixed gas diving.
Methods: Post-dive VGE were counted by echocardiography. Saliva and urine
samples ...
Pulsed Hyperoxia Acts on Plasmatic Advanced Glycation End Products and Advanced Oxidation Protein Products and Modulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: A Pilot Study on the “Normobaric Oxygen Paradox”
18 février 2024, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Sara Baldelli; Fabio Virgili; Michele Salvagno; Simona Mrakic-Sposta; Deborah Fratantonio,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
The “normobaric oxygen paradox” (NOP) describes the response to the return to normoxia after a hyperoxic event, sensed by tissues as an oxygen shortage, up-regulating redox-sensitive tran- scription factors. We have previously characterized the time trend of oxygen-sensitive transcription factors in human PBMCs, in which the return to normoxia after 30% oxygen is sensed as a hypoxic trigger, ...
The Impact of Inotropes and Vasopressors on Cerebral Oxygenation in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Narrative Review
24 janvier 2024, Michele Salvagno; Federico Geraldini; Giacomo Coppalini; Chiara Robba; Elisa Gouvea Bogossian; Filippo Annoni; Eva Vitali; Elda Diletta Sterchele; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Fabio Silvio Taccone,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are critical neurological conditions that necessitate specialized care in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Managing cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) is of primary importance in these patients. To maintain targeted MAP and CPP, vasopressors and/or inotropes are commonly used. However, their effects on ...
Editorial: Physiological telemonitoring and interventional telemedicine in extreme environments
22 janvier 2024, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Bosco, Gerardo; Cialoni, Danilo; Kot, Jacek; Pelliccia, Riccardo; Marroni, Alessandro,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS), Antioxidants, and Cerebral Vascular Tone
09 janvier 2024, Michele SALVAGNO; Elda STERCHELE; Mario ZACCARELLI; Simona MRAKIC-SPOSTA; Ian James WELSBY; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Fabio Silvio TACCONE,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Autre
Autre
he brain's unique characteristics make it exceptionally susceptible to oxidative stress, which arises from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. This review explores the factors contributing to the brain's vascular tone's vulnerability in the presence of oxidative damage, which can be of clinical ...
Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): Evidences from Laboratory and In-Field Studies
13 octobre 2023, Maristella Gussoni; Sarah Moretti; Alessandra Vezzoli; Valerio Genitoni; Guido Giardini; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Gerardo Bosco; Lorenza Pratali; Elisabetta Spagnolo; Michela Montorsi; Simona Mrakic-Sposta,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Intense, long exercise can increase oxidative stress, leading to higher levels of inflammatory mediators and muscle damage. At the same time, fatigue has been suggested as one of the factors giving rise to delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a specific electrical stimulation (ES) treatment (without elicited muscular contraction) on two ...
Oxygen Variations
26 septembre 2023, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Virgili, Fabio; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
For many years, diving and hyperbaric medicine has strived to increase our understanding of the effects of environmental stressors on human pathophysiology. It has demonstrated the importance of oxygen and has taught us not to fear this oxidative molecule, the name of which is derived from the ancient Greek meaning the “acid generator” or Oxy-Gene; indeed, at that time, it was believed that all acids ...
Oxygen Variations-Insights into Hypoxia, Hyperoxia and Hyperbaric Hyperoxia - Is the Dose the Clue?
20 septembre 2023, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona; Virgili, Fabio,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
on, nitrogen and hydrogen); aerobic organisms depend on it to release energy from carbon-based molecules. The concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere is ~20.93–20.95% (209–460 ppm), but this has fluctuated markedly throughout geological history. It stabilized within a habitable range, between ~15% and 35%, which has been maintained from the Cambrian period 540 million years ago until today [1].
The ...
Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): Evidences from Laboratory and In-Field Studies
12 septembre 2023, Gussoni, Maristella; Moretti, Sarah; Vezzoli, Alessandra; Genitoni, Valerio; Giardini, Guido; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Bosco, Gerardo; Pratali, Lorenza; Spagnolo, Elisabetta; Montorsi, Michela; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Intense, long exercise can increase oxidative stress, leading to higher levels of inflammatory
mediators and muscle damage. At the same time, fatigue has been suggested as one of the factors
giving rise to delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The aim of this study was to investigate the
efficacy of a specific electrical stimulation (ES) treatment (without elicited muscular contraction) on
two ...
Oxygen Variations—Insights into Hypoxia, Hyperoxia and Hyperbaric Hyperoxia—Is the Dose the Clue?
30 août 2023, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Simona Mrakic-Sposta; Fabio Virgili,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Molecular oxygen (O2) is one of the four most important elements on Earth (alongside carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen); aerobic organisms depend on it to release energy from carbon-based molecules. The concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere is 20.93–20.95% (209–460 ppm), but this has fluctuated markedly throughout geological history. It stabilized within a habitable range, Between ~15% and 35%, ...
Oxidative Stress Response Kinetics after 60 Minutes at Different (1.4 ATA and 2.5 ATA) Hyperbaric Hyperoxia Exposures
02 août 2023, Leveque, Clément; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Germonpré, Peter; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; Vezzoli, Alessandra; Bosco, Gerardo; Levenez, Morgan; Lafère, Pierre; Guerrero, François; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a therapeutical approach based on exposure to pure oxygen in an augmented atmospheric pressure. Although it has been used for years, the exact kinetics of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) between different pressures of hyperbaric oxygen exposure are still not clearly evidenced. In this study, the metabolic responses of hyperbaric hyperoxia exposures for 1 h at ...
Oxidative Stress Response Kinetics after 60 Minutes at Different (1.4 ATA and 2.5 ATA) Hyperbaric Hyperoxia Exposures
août 2023, Clément Leveque; Simona Mrakic-Sposta; Sigrid Theunissen; Peter Germonpre; Kate Lambrechts; Alessandra Vezzoli; GERARDO BOSCO; Morgan Lévénez; Pierre Lafère; François Guerrero; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a therapeutical approach based on exposure to pure oxygen in an augmented atmospheric pressure. Although it has been used for years, the exact kinetics of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) between different pressures of hyperbaric oxygen exposure are still not clearly evidenced. In this study, the metabolic responses of hyperbaric hyperoxia exposures for 1 h at ...
Oxidative Stress Response Kinetics after 60 Minutes at Different Levels (10% or 15%) of Normobaric Hypoxia Exposure
15 juin 2023, Leveque, Clément; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Germonpré, Peter; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; Vezzoli, Alessandra; Gussoni, Maristella; Levenez, Morgan; Lafère, Pierre; Guerrero, François; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
In this study, the metabolic responses of hypoxic breathing for 1 h to inspired fractions of 10% and 15% oxygen were investigated. To this end, 14 healthy nonsmoking subjects (6 females and 8 males, age: 32.2 ± 13.3 years old (mean ± SD), height: 169.1 ± 9.9 cm, and weight: 61.6 ± 16.2 kg) volunteered for the study. Blood samples were taken before, and at 30 min, 2 h, 8 h, 24 h, and 48 h after a 1 ...
Editorial: Feelings of energy and fatigue: Two different moods
19 avril 2023, Boolani, Ali; Martin, Joel; D'acquisto, Fulvio; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Architectural and Mechanical Changes after Five Weeks of Intermittent Static Stretch Training on the Medial Gastrocnemius Muscle of Active Adults
27 mars 2023, Levenez, Morgan; Moeremans, Mathieu; Boorghs, Cédric; Vigouroux, Florent; Leveque, Clément; HEMELRYCK, Walter; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
We investigated the effects of intermittent long-term stretch training (5 weeks) on the architectural and mechanical properties of the muscle-tendon unit (MTU) in healthy humans. MTU's viscoelastic and architectural properties in the human medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle and the contribution of muscle and tendon structures to the MTU lengthening were analyzed. Ten healthy volunteers participated ...
Elevations of Extracellular Vesicles and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Closed Circuit SCUBA Divers
22 mars 2023, Arya, Awadhesh; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Bhopale, Veena; Tominen, Laura; Raisanen-Sokolowski, Anne; Dugrenot, Emmanuel; Thom, Stephen,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Blood-borne extracellular vesicles and inflammatory mediators were evaluated in divers using a closed circuit rebreathing apparatus and custom-mixed gases to diminish some diving risks. "Deep" divers (n = 8) dove once to mean (+/-SD) 102.5 +/- 1.2 m of sea water (msw) for 167.3 +/- 11.5 min. "Shallow" divers (n = 6) dove 3 times on day 1, and then repetitively over 7 days to 16.4 +/- 3.7 msw, for ...
The "ON-OFF" Switching Response of Reactive Oxygen Species in Acute Normobaric Hypoxia: Preliminary Outcome
16 février 2023, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona; Gussoni, Maristella; Marzorati, Mauro; Porcelli, Simone; Bosco, Gerardo; Montorsi, Michela; Lafortuna, Claudio; Vezzoli, Alessandra,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Exposure to acute normobaric hypoxia (NH) elicits reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, whose production kinetics and oxidative damage were here investigated. Nine subjects were monitored while breathing an NH mixture (0.125 F(I)O(2) in air, about 4100 m) and during recovery with room air. ROS production was assessed by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance in capillary blood. Total antioxidant ...
Hyperbaric medicine
12 février 2023, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Kot, Jacek,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
Oxygen (both its presence and absence) acts as a potent signaling mechanism in many, if not
most, cellular processes.
Oxygen has been used therapeutically mainly to alleviate or correct hypoxia, and has been
administered in supra-atmospheric doses in the form of hyperbaric oxygen (a method derived from
diving medicine practices, but has been used in non-diving applications since the 1960s).
Hyperbaric ...
The Normobaric Oxygen Paradox-Hyperoxic Hypoxic Paradox: A Novel Expedient Strategy in Hematopoiesis Clinical Issues
janvier 2023, Salvagno, Michele; Coppalini, Giacomo; Taccone, Fabio-Silvio; Strapazzon, Giacomo; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona; Rocco, Monica; Khalife, Maher; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Hypoxia, even at non-lethal levels, is one of the most stressful events for all aerobic organisms as it significantly affects a wide spectrum of physiological functions and energy production. Aerobic organisms activate countless molecular responses directed to respond at cellular, tissue, organ, and whole-body levels to cope with oxygen shortage allowing survival, including enhanced neo-angiogenesis ...
Oxidative Stress Response’s Kinetics after 60 Minutes at Different (30% or 100%) Normobaric Hyperoxia Exposures
30 décembre 2022, Leveque, Clément; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona; Lafère, Pierre; Vezzoli, Alessandra; Germonpré, Peter; Beer, Alexandre; Mievis, Stéphane; Virgili, Fabio; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Guerrero, François; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Oxygen is a powerful trigger for cellular reactions and is used in many pathologies,
including oxidative stress. However, the effects of oxygen over time and at different partial pressures
remain poorly understood. In this study, the metabolic responses of normobaric oxygen intake
for 1 h to mild (30%) and high (100%) inspired fractions were investigated. Fourteen healthy nonsmoking subjects (7 ...
Pulmonary Effects of One Week of Repeated Recreational Closed-Circuit Rebreather Dives in Cold Water
28 décembre 2022, Gouin, Emmanuel; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Orsat, Jeremy; Dugrenot, Emmanuel; L'Her, Erwan,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background and Objectives: The use of closed-circuit rebreathers (CCRs) in recreational diving is gaining interest. However, data regarding its physiological effects are still scarce. Immersion, cold water, hyperoxia, exercise or the equipment itself could challenge the cardiopulmonary system. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of CCR diving on lung function and autonomous cardiac ...
Vascular Function Recovery Following Saturation Diving
17 octobre 2022, Imbert, Jean-Pierre; Egi, Sahli-Murat; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background and Objectives: Saturation diving is a technique used in commercial diving. Decompression sickness (DCS) was the main concern of saturation safety, but procedures have evolved over the last 50 years and DCS has become a rare event. New needs have evolved to evaluate the diving and decompression stress to improve the flexibility of the operations (minimum interval between dives, optimal ...
Hydration status during commercial saturation diving measured by bioimpedance and urine specific gravity
29 septembre 2022, Werke, Stian Lande; Landswerk, Halvor Dagsson; Lautridou, Jacky; Imbert, Jean-Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Eftedal, Ingrid,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Excessive fluid loss triggered by hyperbaric pressure, water immersion and hot water suits causes saturation divers to be at risk of dehydration. Dehydration is associated with reductions in mental and physical performance, resulting in less effective work and an increased risk of work-related accidents. In this study we examined the hydration status of 11 male divers over 19 days of a commercial ...
Varying Oxygen Partial Pressure Elicits Blood-Borne Microparticles Expressing Different Cell-Specific Proteins-Toward a Targeted Use of Oxygen?
17 juillet 2022, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Arya, Awadhesh; Leveque, Clément; Virgili, Fabio; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; Lafere, Pierre; Thom, Stephen,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Oxygen is a powerful trigger for cellular reactions, but there are few comparative investigations assessing the effects over a large range of partial pressures. We investigated a metabolic response to single exposures to either normobaric (10%, 15%, 30%, 100%) or hyperbaric (1.4 ATA, 2.5 ATA) oxygen. Forty-eight healthy subjects (32 males/16 females; age: 43.7 +/- 13.4 years, height: 172.7 +/- 10.07 ...
Mini Trampoline, a New and Promising Way of SCUBA Diving Preconditioning to Reduce Vascular Gas Emboli?
29 avril 2022, LAMBRECHTS, Kate; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Vandenheede, Joaquim; Delorme, Manon; Lafere, Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background: Despite evolution in decompression algorithms, decompression illness is still an issue nowadays. Reducing vascular gas emboli (VGE) production or preserving endothelial function by other means such as diving preconditioning is of great interest. Several methods have been tried, either mechanical, cardiovascular, desaturation aimed or biochemical, with encouraging results. In this study, ...
Effects of Acute Hypobaric Hypoxia Exposure on Cardiovascular Function in Unacclimatized Healthy Subjects: A "Rapid Ascent" Hypobaric Chamber Study
28 avril 2022, THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Bolognési, Sébastien; Borgers, Guy; Vissenaeken, Dirk; Obeid, Georges; Germonpré, Peter; Honoré, Patrick M.; De Bels, David,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background: This study aimed to observe the effects of a fast acute ascent to simulated high altitudes on cardiovascular function both in the main arteries and in peripheral circulation. Methods: We examined 17 healthy volunteers, between 18 and 50 years old, at sea level, at 3842 m of hypobaric hypoxia and after return to sea level. Cardiac output (CO) was measured with Doppler transthoracic ...
Effect of SCUBA Diving on Ophthalmic Parameters
09 mars 2022, Deleu, Laurent; Catherine, Janet; Postelmans, Laurence; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background and Objective: Several cases of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) in divers have been reported in our medical retina center over the past few years. This study was designed to evaluate possible changes induced by SCUBA diving in ophthalmic parameters and especially subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), since the choroid seems to play a crucial role in physiopathology of CSC. Materials ...
Full-Face Mask Use during SCUBA Diving Counters Related Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Dysfunction
15 janvier 2022, Levenez, Morgan; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona; Vezzoli, Alessandra; Germonpré, Peter; Pique, Hadrien; Virgili, Fabi; Bosco, Gerardo; Lafere, Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Impaired flow mediated dilation (FMD), an index of vascular stress, is known after SCUBA diving. This is related to a dysfunction of nitric oxide (NO) availability and a disturbance of the redox status, possibly induced by hyperoxic/hyperbaric gas breathing. SCUBA diving is usually performed with a mask only covering "half face" (HF) and therefore forcing oral breathing. Nasal NO production is ...
Physiology of repeated mixed gas 100-m wreck dives using a closed-circuit rebreather: a field bubble study
28 novembre 2021, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Guerrero, François; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Lafère, Pierre,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Purpose: Data regarding decompression stress after deep closed-circuit rebreather (CCR) dives are scarce. This study aimed to monitor technical divers during a wreck diving expedition and provide an insight in venous gas emboli (VGE) dynamics.
Methods: Diving practices of ten technical divers were observed. They performed a series of three consecutive daily dives around 100 m. VGE counts were ...
Comparison of insulation provided by dry or wetsuits among recreational divers during cold water immersion (< 5 degrees C)
05 octobre 2021, Lafère, Pierre; Guerrero, François; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
BACKGROUND: Divers thermal status influences susceptibility to decompression sickness hence the need for proper insulation during immersion in cold water. However, there is a lack of data on thermal protection provided by diving suits, hence this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two different groups of divers wearing either a wetsuit (n = 15) or a dry suit (n = 15) volunteered for this study. Anthropometric ...
Comparison of insulation provided by dry or wetsuits among recreational divers during cold water immersion (< 5 degrees C)
05 octobre 2021, Lafère, Pierre; Guerrero, François; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
BACKGROUND: Divers thermal status influences susceptibility to decompression sickness hence the need for proper insulation during immersion in cold water. However, there is a lack of data on thermal protection provided by diving suits, hence this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two different groups of divers wearing either a wetsuit (n = 15) or a dry suit (n = 15) volunteered for this study. Anthropometric ...
Physiological and Clinical Impact of Repeated Inhaled Oxygen Variation on Erythropoietin Levels in Patients After Surgery
15 septembre 2021, Khalifé, Maher; Ben Haziz, Mohamed; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Valsamis, Joseph; Sosnowski, Maurice,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
The "Normobaric Oxygen Paradox" (NOP) is a physiologic mechanism that induces an increase of endogenous erythropoietin (EPO) production by creating a state of relative hypoxia in subjects previously exposed to hyperoxia, followed by a rapid return to normoxia. Oxygen exposure duration and inspired oxygen fraction required to observe a significant increase in EPO or hemoglobin are not clearly defined. ...
Heart Rate Variability During a Standard Dive: A Role for Inspired Oxygen Pressure?
13 août 2021, Lafère, Pierre; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; BALESTRA, Ambre; Germonpré, Faye-Lisa; Marroni, Alessandro; Cialoni, Danilo; Bosco, Gerardo; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: Heart rate variability (HRV) during underwater diving has been infrequently investigated because of environment limitations and technical challenges. This study aims to analyze HRV changes while diving at variable hyperoxia when using open circuit (OC) air diving apparatus or at constant hyperoxia using a closed-circuit rebreather (CCR). We used HRV analysis in time and frequency domain ...
Heart Rate Variability During a Standard Dive: A Role for Inspired Oxygen Pressure?
13 août 2021, Lafère, Pierre; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; BALESTRA, Ambre; Germonpré, Faye-Lisa; Marroni, Alessandro; Cialoni, Danilo; Bosco, Gerardo; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: Heart rate variability (HRV) during underwater diving has been infrequently investigated because of environment limitations and technical challenges. This study aims to analyze HRV changes while diving at variable hyperoxia when using open circuit (OC) air diving apparatus or at constant hyperoxia using a closed-circuit rebreather (CCR). We used HRV analysis in time and frequency domain ...
A fully automated method for late ventricular diastole frame selection in post-dive echocardiography without ECG gatingEr
02 mars 2021, Markley, Eric; Germonpré, Peter; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Tillmans, Frauke; Denoble, Petar; Freiberger, Jake; Moon, Richard; Dayton, Paul; Papadopoulou, Virginie,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Venous gas emboli (VGE) are often quantified as a marker of decompression stress on echocardiograms. Bubble-counting has been proposed as an easy to learn method, but remains time-consuming, rendering large dataset analysis impractical. Computer automation of VGE counting following this method has therefore been suggested as a means to eliminate rater bias and save time. A necessary step for this ...
A fully automated method for late ventricular diastole frame selection in post-dive echocardiography without ECG gating
02 mars 2021, Markley, Eric; Le, David; Germonpré, Peter; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Tillmans, Frauke; Denoble, Petar; Freiberger, Jake; Moon, Richard; Dayton, Paul; Papadopoulou, Virginie,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Venous gas emboli (VGE) are often quantified as a marker of decompression stress on echocardiograms. Bubble-counting has been proposed as an easy to learn method, but remains time-consuming, rendering large dataset analysis impractical. Computer automation of VGE counting following this method has therefore been suggested as a means to eliminate rater bias and save time. A necessary step for this ...
Feasibility of Detecting Brain Areas Involved in Extreme Breath-Hold Diving
20 janvier 2021, Jissendi-Tchofo, Patrice; Jdaoudi, Yassin; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Brizzolari, Andrea; Musimu, Patrick; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
We report Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal changes recorded in the brain of an elite breath-hold diver during voluntary dry long breath-hold by means of fMRI. An independent component analysis (ICA) method was applied to extract brain areas that are putatively involved in the apnea process network. We discuss the hypothesis that these BOLD signal variations express the functional adaptive ...
Increasing Oxygen Partial Pressures Induce a Distinct Transcriptional Response in Human PBMC: A Pilot Study on the “Normobaric Oxygen Paradox”
05 janvier 2021, Fratantonio, Deborah; Virgili, Fabio; Zucchi, Alessandro; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; Latronico, Tiziana; Lafère, Pierre; Germonpré, Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
The term "normobaric oxygen paradox" (NOP), describes the response to the return to normoxia after a hyperoxic event, sensed by tissues as oxygen shortage, and resulting in up-regulation of the Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) transcription factor activity. The molecular characteristics of this response have not been yet fully characterized. Herein, we report the activation time trend ...
Investigating critical flicker fusion frequency for monitoring gas narcosis in divers
17 décembre 2020, Vrijdag, Xavier; Van Waart, Hanna; Sleigh, Jaimie; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Mitchell, Simon,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
INTRODUCTION: Critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF) has been used in various studies to measure the cognitive effects of gas mixtures at depth, sometimes with conflicting or apparently paradoxical results. This study aimed to evaluate a novel automatic CFFF method and investigate whether CFFF can be used to monitor gas-induced narcosis in divers. METHODS: Three hyperbaric chamber experiments were ...
Physiological characteristics associated with increased resistance to decompression sickness in male and female rats
23 juillet 2020, Lautridou, Jacky; Dugrenot, Emmanuel; Amérand, Aline; Guernec, Anthony; Pichavant-Rafini, Karine; Gouvanec, Christelle; Inizan, Manon; Albacete, Gaelle; Belhomme, Marc; Galinat, Hubert; Lafère, Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Guerrero, François; Moisan, Chistine; Buzzacott, Peter,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Decompression sickness (DCS) is a complex and poorly understood systemic disease with wide inter-individual resistance variability. We selectively bred rats with a 3-fold greater resistance to DCS than standard ones. To investigate possible physiological mechanisms underlying the resistance to DCS, including sex-related differences in these mechanisms, 15 males and 15 females resistant to DCS were ...
Evaluation of Protection Level, Respiratory Safety, and Practical Aspects of Commercially Available Snorkel Masks as Personal Protection Devices Against Aerosolized Contaminants and SARS-CoV2
15 juin 2020, GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Van Rompaeye, Dirk; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: The “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV2) pandemic has led to a worldwide shortage of personal protection devices (PPD) for medical and paramedical personnel. Adaptation of commercially available snorkel masks to serve as full face masks has been proposed. Even not formally approved as PPD, they are publicized on social media as suitable for this use. Concerns ...
Field study of anthropomorphic and muscle performance changes among elite skippers following a transoceanic race
12 juin 2020, Lafère, Pierre; Gatzoff, Yann; Guerrero, François; Provyn, Steven; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
BACKGROUND: Ocean racing has become increasingly demanding, both physically and psychologically. The aim of the study was to assess global changes after a transoceanic race. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight male sailors were evaluated pre- and post-race through anthropometric measurements (weight, skinfold, girth at different level and estimated body fat percentage), multifrequency tetrapolar bioelectrical ...
Early Endothelial Dysfunction in Type 1 Diabetes Is Accompanied by an Impairment of Vascular Smooth Muscle Function: A Meta-Analysis
05 mai 2020, Lespagnol, Elodie; Dauchet, Luc; Pawlak-Chaouch, Mehdi; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Berthoin, Serge; Feelish, Martin; Roustit, Mathieu; Boissiere, Julien; Fontaine, Pierre; Heyman, Elsa,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background: A large yet heterogeneous body of literature exists suggesting that endothelial dysfunction appears early in type 1 diabetes, due to hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress. The latter may also affect vascular smooth muscles (VSM) function, a layer albeit less frequently considered in that pathology. This meta-analysis aims at evaluating the extent, and the contributing risk factors, of ...
Hyperoxia Alters Ultrastructure and Induces Apoptosis in Leukemia Cell Lines
12 février 2020, De Bels, David; Tillmans, Frauke; Corazza, Francis; Bizzarri, Mariano; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Radermacher, Peter; Keziban, Gunce-Orman; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Oxygenation conditions are crucial for growth and tumor progression. Recent data suggests a decrease in cancer cell proliferation occurring after exposure to normobaric hyperoxia. Those changes are associated with fractal dimension. The purpose of this research was to study the impact of hyperoxia on apoptosis and morphology of leukemia cell lines. Two hematopoietic lymphoid cancer cell lines (a ...
Static Metabolic Bubbles as Precursors of Vascular Gas Emboli During Divers' Decompression: A Hypothesis Explaining Bubbling Variability
30 juillet 2019, Imbert, Jean Pierre; Egi, Salih Murat; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: The risk for decompression sickness (DCS) after hyperbaric exposures (such as SCUBA diving) has been linked to the presence and quantity of vascular gas emboli (VGE) after surfacing from the dive. These VGE can be semi-quantified by ultrasound Doppler and quantified via precordial echocardiography. However, for an identical dive, VGE monitoring of divers shows variations related to ...
Early detection of diving-related cognitive impairment of different nitrogen-oxygen gas mixtures
30 juin 2019, Lafère, Pierre; HEMELRYCK, Walter; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Matity, Luba; Guerrero, François; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
NTRODUCTION: Cognitive impairment related to inert gas narcosis (IGN) is a threat to diving safety and operations at depth that might be reduced by using enriched air nitrox (EANx) mixtures. Using critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF), a possible early detection of cognitive abilities/cerebral arousal impairment when breathing different oxygen (O2) fractions was investigated. METHODS: Eight male ...
Diving physiopathology: the end of certainties? Food for thought
27 juin 2019, BALESTRA, Costantino
; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Rocco, Monica; Biancofiore, Giovanni; Kot, Jacek,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Our understanding of decompression physiopathology has slowly improved during this last decade and some uncertainties have disappeared. A better understanding of anatomy and functional aspects of Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) have slowly resulted in a more liberal approach toward the medical fitness to dive for those bearing a PFO. Circulating vascular gas emboli (VGE) are considered the key actors in ...
Variation of Cognitive Function During a Short Stay at Hypobaric Hypoxia Chamber (Altitude: 3842 M)
26 juin 2019, De Bels, David; Pierrakos, Charalampos; Bruneteau, Adrien; Reul, François; Crèvecoeur, Quentin; Marrone, Nicolas; Vissenaeken, Dirk; Borgers, Guy; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Honoré, Patrick M.; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Objective: To observe the effects of a fast-acute ascent to high altitude on brain cognitive function and transcranial doppler parameters in order to understand the physiological countermeasures of hypoxia.
Methods: 17 high-altitude-naïve male subjects (mean age was 26.3 ± 8.1 years) participated in the study. We measured Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency (CFFF), blood oxygen saturation, Psychology ...
Coping With Extreme Environments: A Physiological/Psychological Approach
25 juin 2019, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Kot, Jacek; Efrati, Shai; Guerrero, François; Blatteau, Jean-Eric; Besnard, Stéphane,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Clustering of recreational divers by their health conditions in a database of a citizen science project
05 mai 2019, Ozyigit, Tamer; Yauz, Cüneyt; Egi, Salih Murat; Pieri, Massimo; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Marroni, Alessandro,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Divers Alert Network Europe has created a database with a large amount of dive-related data that has been collected since 1993 within the scope of the Diving Safety Laboratory citizen science project. The main objectives of this study are the grouping divers by their health information and revealing significant differences in diving parameters using data mining techniques. Due to the methodology of ...
Inert gas narcosis in scuba diving, different gases different reactions
19 avril 2019, Rocco, Monica; Pelaia, Paolo; Di Benedetto, Pia; Conte, Giuseppe; Maggi, Luigi; Fiorelli, Silvia; Mercieri, Marco; BALESTRA, Costantino
; de Biasi, Roberto Alberto,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Purpose Underwater divers face several potential neurological hazards when breathing compressed gas mixtures including nitrogen narcosis which can impact diver’s safety. Various human studies have clearly demonstrated brain impairment due to nitrogen narcosis in divers at 4 ATA using critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF) as a cortical performance indicator. However, recently some authors have ...
Evaluation of Divers' Neuropsychometric Effectiveness and High-Pressure Neurological Syndrome via Computerized Test Battery Package and Questionnaires in Operational Setting
12 avril 2019, Berenji Ardestani, Simin; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Bouzinova, Elena; Loennechen, Oyvind,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: When divers are compressed to water depths deeper than 150 meter sea water (msw), symptoms of high-pressure neurological syndrome (HPNS) might appear due to rapid increase in pressure on the central nervous system during compression. The aim of this study was to first operate a new computerized tool, designed to monitor divers' wellbeing and cognitive function, and to record the results. ...
Commercial Divers' Subjective Evaluation of Saturation
30 janvier 2019, Imbert, Jean Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Kiboub, Fatima Zohra; Loennechen, Øyvind; Eftedal, Ingrid,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Commercial saturation diving involves divers living and working in an enclosed atmosphere with elevated partial pressure of oxygen (ppO2) for weeks. The divers must acclimatize to these conditions during compression, and for up to 28 days until decompression is completed. During decompression, the ppO2 and ambient pressure are gradually decreased; then the divers must acclimatize again to breathing ...
Extreme Environments in Movement Science and Sport Psychology
20 décembre 2018, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Jacek, Kot; Efrati, Shai; Guerrero, François; Blatteau, Jean-Eric; Besnard, Stéphane,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency: A Marker of Cerebral Arousal During Modified Gravitational Conditions Related to Parabolic Flights
02 octobre 2018, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Machado, Marie-Laure; Theunissen, Sigrid; BALESTRA, Ambre; Cialoni, Danilo; Clot, Christian; Besnard, Stépane; Kammacher, Laura; Delzenne, Julie; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Lafère, Pierre,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
In situ evaluation of human brain performance and arousal remains challenging during operational circumstances, hence the need for a rapid, reliable and reproducible tool. Here we hypothesized that the Critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF) reflecting/requiring visual integration, visuo-motor skills and decision-taking process might be a powerful, fast and simple tool in modified gravity environments. ...
Les effets du crochetage myo-aponévrotique sur l’architecture et les propriétés intrinsèques du muscle gastrocnemius medialis à l’étirement
20 septembre 2018, Vigouroux, Florent; Levenez, Morgan; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background : this study investigates the effects of the diacutaneous
myo-aponeurosis fibrolysis technique, also called
hook treatment, on the architectural and mechanical aspects
of the muscle.
Methods : the overall muscle-tendon unit passive tension and
range of motion and muscle architecture of the medial gastrocnemius
(fascicle length and pennation angle), as well as
mechanical intrinsic ...
Decreased Incidence of Pulmonary Barotrauma After Discontinuation of Emergency Free Ascent Training
22 août 2018, Lafère, Pierre; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Guerrero, François; Marroni, Alessandro; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
INTRODUCTION: Because a significant association between training to perform emergency free ascent (EFA) and the occurrence of pulmonary barotrauma (PBT) was demonstrated in 2006, the Belgian Underwater Federation (BUF) decided to discontinue this procedure. An evaluation was needed 10 yr after the implementation of this change. METHODS: All medical records with a diagnosis of PBT that occurred in ...
Hemoglobin and Erythropoietin After Commercial Saturation Diving
21 août 2018, Kiboub, Fatima Zohra; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Loennechen, Øyvind; Eftedal, Ingrid,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Saturation divers are exposed to elevated partial pressure of oxygen (ppO2) in their hyperbaric work environment. Experimental studies indicate that oxygen transport is altered, and we have previously reported a drop in hematocrit and extensive downregulation of genes involved in blood oxygen transport capacity after decompression from professional saturation diving. Here we investigate the initial ...
Spirometry and oxidative stress after rebreather diving in warm water
05 août 2018, Bosco, Gerardo; Quartesan, Silvia; Mrakic-Sposta, Simona; Moretti, Sarah; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Rubini, Alessandro,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO(2)) therapy and use of enriched air can result in oxidative injury affecting the brain, lungs and eyes. HBO(2) exposure during diving can lead to a decrease in respiratory parameters. However, the possible effects of acute exposure to oxygen-enriched diving on subsequent spirometric performance and oxidative state in humans have not been recently described recently. ...
One-week cocoa flavanol intake increases prefrontal cortex oxygenation at rest and during moderate-intensity exercise in normoxia and hypoxia
12 juillet 2018, Decroix, Lieselot; Tonoli, Cajsa; Lespagnol, Elodie; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Descat, Amandine; Drittij-Reijnders, Marie José; Blackwell, Jamie; Stahl, Wilhelm; Jones, Andrew; Wesseler, Antje; Bast, Aalt; Meeusen, Romain; Heyman, Elsa,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
During exercise in hypoxia, O2 delivery to brain and muscle is compromised, and oxidative stress is elicited. Cocoa flavanols (CF) have antioxidant capacities and can increase blood flow by stimulating endothelial function. We aimed to examine the effects of 7-day CF intake on oxidative stress, nitric oxide production, and tissue oxygenation in response to exercise in normobaric hypoxia (14.3% O2). ...
Variability in circulating gas emboli after a same scuba diving exposure
30 avril 2018, Papadopoulou, Virginie; Germonpré, Peter; Cosgrove, David; Eckersley, Robert; Dayton, Paul; Obeid, Georges; BOUTROS, Antoine; Tang, Meng-Txing; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
PURPOSE: A reduction in ambient pressure or decompression from scuba diving can result in ultrasound-detectable venous gas emboli (VGE). These environmental exposures carry a risk of decompression sickness (DCS) which is mitigated by adherence to decompression schedules; however, bubbles are routinely observed for dives well within these limits and significant inter-personal variability in DCS risk ...
Effect Of Induced Relative Hypoxia On Reticulocyte Count In Oncologycal Abdominal Surgery: A Single-Centre, Controlled, Randomized Pilot Study.
04 avril 2018, Khalife, Maher; Wiams, Kathleen; Ben Aziz, M; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Sosnowski, Maurice,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Erythropoietin (EPO) stimulating agents are known as alternatives to transfusion. However, they expose patients to thrombosis and are expensive. A phenomenon, “the normobaric oxygen paradox” (NOP), has been described. A transient hyperoxia followed by a prolonged return to normoxia acts as an effective trigger for EPO production. The mechanism depends on free O2 radicals and on reduced gluthatione ...
Ultrasonographic Assessment of Neck Muscular Size and Range of Motion in Rugby Players
28 février 2018, HEMELRYCK, Walter; Calistri, Josselin; Dugardeyn, Christian; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background: World Rugby Union laws are constantly evolving towards stringent injury-prevention, particularly for contested scrums, since front row players are most at risk of cervical spine injuries. Recently, some countries have also introduced tailored training programs and minimum performance requirements for playing in the front row. Nevertheless, these approaches lack an objective assessment ...
ULTRASONOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF NECK MUSCULAR SIZE AND RANGE OF MOTION IN RUGBY PLAYERS
01 février 2018, HEMELRYCK, Walter; Calistri, Josselin; Papadopoulou, Virginie; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Dugardeyn, Christian; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background: World Rugby Union laws are constantly evolving towards stringent injury-prevention, particularly for contested scrums, since front row players are most at risk of cervical spine injuries. Recently, some countries have also introduced tailored training programs and minimum performance requirements for playing in the front row. Nevertheless, these approaches lack an objective assessment ...
Scuba Physiological: Think You Know All About Scuba Medicine? Think again!
01 décembre 2017, Pridmore, Simon; BALESTRA, Costantino
; GERMONPRÉ, Peter,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
"This book makes it easy to understand the latest discoveries in diving research. You will enjoy reading about our current understanding of what happens to our bodies when we dive." JP Imbert: Decompression designer and technical diving pioneer
"As a doctor with a fair history and understanding of diving medicine and diving physiology I found the book interesting. It's the sort of book I would ...
Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), Personality Traits, and Iterative Decompression Sickness. Retrospective Analysis of 209 Cases
20 août 2017, Lafère, Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Caers, Dirk; GERMONPRÉ, Peter,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: There is a need to evaluate the influence of risk factors such as patency of foramen ovale (PFO) or "daredevil" psychological profile on contra-indication policy after a decompression sickness (DCS). Methods: By crossing information obtained from Belgian Hyperbaric Centers, DAN Emergency Hotline, the press, and Internet diving forums, it was possible to be accountable for the majority ...
Qu'est-ce qui va changer? - Capitre dans Coeur et Plongée
Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
Le monde sous-marin est devenu accessible au plus grand nombre. Les méthodes de plongée se sont diversifiées, la population de plongeurs aussi... Mais la plongée demeure une activité à risques. Les pathologies cardiaques peuvent faire courir des dangers importants, non seulement au plongeur, mais aussi à tous ceux impliqués en cas d'assistance. Or, les données concernant les décès en plongée mettent ...
Evidence of Heritable Determinants of Decompression Sickness in Rats
22 juillet 2017, Lautridou, Jacky; Buzzacott, Peter; Belhomme, Marc; Dugrenot, Emmanuel; Lafère, Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Guerrero, François,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
NTRODUCTION: Decompression sickness (DCS) is a complex and poorly understood systemic disease caused by inadequate desaturation following a decrease of ambient pressure. Strong variability between individuals is observed for DCS occurrence. This raises questions concerning factors that may be involved in the inter-individual variability of DCS occurrence. This study aimed to experimentally assess ...
Dive Risk Factors, Gas Bubble Formation, and Decompression Illness in Recreational SCUBA Diving: Analysis of DAN Europe DSL Data Base
10 mai 2017, Cialoni, Danilo; Pieri, Massimo; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Marroni, Alessandro,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: The popularity of SCUBA diving is steadily increasing together with the number of dives and correlated diseases per year. The rules that govern correct decompression procedures are considered well known even if the majority of Decompression Sickness (DCS) cases are considered unexpected confirming a bias in the "mathematical ability" to predict DCS by the current algorithms. Furthermore, ...
Objective vs. Subjective Evaluation of Cognitive Performance During 0.4-MPa Dives Breathing Air or Nitrox
19 avril 2017, GERMONPRÉ, Peter; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Hemelryck, Walter; Buzzacott, Peter; Lafère, Pierre,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
BACKGROUND: Divers try to limit risks associated with their sport, for instance by breathing enriched air nitrox (EANx) instead of air. This double blinded, randomized trial was designed to see if the use of EANx could effectively improve cognitive performance while diving. METHODS: Eight volunteers performed two no-decompression dry dives breathing air or EANx for 20 min at 0.4 MPa. Cognitive ...
Beneficial effect of enriched air nitrox on bubble formation during scuba diving. An open-water study
12 avril 2017, Brebek, Anne-Kathrin; Deussen, Andreas; Schmitz-Peiffer, Henning; Range, Ursula; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Cleveland, Sinclair; Schipke, Jochen,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Backround: Nitrogen narcosis impairs cognitive function, a fact relevant during SCUBA-diving. Oxygen-enriched air (nitrox) became popular in recreational diving, while evidence of its advantages over air is limited. AIM: Compare effects of nitrox28 and air on two psychometric tests. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind, open-water study, 108 advanced divers (38 females) were randomized to an ...
Effects of oxygen-enriched air on cognitive performance during SCUBA-diving - an open-water study
12 avril 2017, Brebeck, Anne-Kathrin; Deussen, Andreas; Schmitz-Pfeiffer, Henning; Range, Ursula; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Cleveland, Sinclair; Schipke, Jochen,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Backround: Nitrogen narcosis impairs cognitive function, a fact relevant during SCUBA-diving. Oxygen-enriched air (nitrox) became popular in recreational diving, while evidence of its advantages over air is limited. AIM: Compare effects of nitrox28 and air on two psychometric tests. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind, open-water study, 108 advanced divers (38 females) were randomized to an ...
Diving deeper into SCUBA Science
12 février 2017, BALESTRA, Costantino
; GERMONPRÉ, Peter,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
Livre/Ouvrage ou monographie
The editors of and authors of this book are a cadre of scientists and physicians with broad experience and knowledge of diving physiology and decompression theory. As is often the case, it requires a group effort to succeed in advancing practical knowledge. The colloquialism "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is often true and the PHYPODE Reasearch Group epitomizes this concept. By ...
Venous gas emboli are involved in post-dive macro, but not microvascular dysfunction
21 janvier 2017, LAMBRECHTS, Kate; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Theron, Michaël; Henckes, Anne; Galinat, Hubert; Mignant, Fanny; Belhomme, Marc; Pontier, Jean-Michel; Guerrero, François,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Purpose: Previous studies have shown vascular dysfunction of main conductance arteries and microvessels after diving. We aim to evaluate the impact of bubble formation on vascular function and haemostasis. To achieve this, we used a vibration preconditioning to influence bubble levels without changing any other parameters linked to the dive.
Methods: Twentty-six divers were randomly assigned to ...
Preconditioning to Reduce Decompression Stress in Scuba Divers
Article scientifique
BACKGROUND: Using ultrasound imaging, vascular gas emboli (VGE) are observed after asymptomatic scuba dives and are considered a key element in the potential development of decompression sickness (DCS). Diving is also accompanied with vascular dysfunction, as measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Previous studies showed significant intersubject variability to VGE for the same diving exposure and ...
Pre-dive Whole-Body Vibration Better Reduces Decompression-Induced Vascular Gas Emboli than Oxygenation or a Combination of Both
30 novembre 2016, BALESTRA, Costantino
; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Papadopoulou, Virginie; Le Mener, Cédric; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Guerrero, François; Lafère, Pierre,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Purpose: Since non-provocative dive profiles are no guarantor of protection against decompression sickness, novel means including pre-dive "preconditioning" interventions, are proposed for its prevention. This study investigated and compared the effect of pre-dive oxygenation, pre-dive whole body vibration or a combination of both on post-dive bubble formation. Methods: Six healthy volunteers performed ...
Do Environmental Conditions Contribute to Narcosis Onset and Symptom Severity?
14 octobre 2016, Lafère, Pierre; BALESTRA, Costantino
; HEMELRYCK, Walter; Guerrero, François; GERMONPRÉ, Peter,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Although many factors contributing to inert gas narcosis onset and severity have been put forward, the available evidence is not particularly strong. Using objective criteria, we have assessed brain impairment associated with narcosis under various environmental diving conditions. 40 volunteers performed a no-decompression dive (33 m for 20 min) either in a dry chamber, a pool or open sea. They were ...
Correlation between Patent Foramen Ovale, cerebral “lesions” and neuropsychometric testing in experienced sports divers: does diving damage the brain?
Article scientifique
SCUBA diving exposes divers to decompression sickness (DCS). There has been considerable debate whether divers with a Patent Foramen Ovale of the heart have a higher risk of DCS because of the possible right-to-left shunt of venous decompression bubbles into the arterial circulation. Symptomatic neurological DCS has been shown to cause permanent damage to brain and spinal cord tissue; it has been ...
A red orange extract modulates the vascular response to a recreational dive: a pilot study on the effect of anthocyanins on the physiological consequences of scuba diving
07 novembre 2015, BALESTRA, Costantino
; Cimino, Francesco; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; SNOECK, Thyl; Provyn, Steven; Canali, Raffaella; Bonina, Andrea; Virgili, Fabio,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Nutritional antioxidants have been proposed as an expedient strategy to counter the potentially deleterious effects of scuba diving on endothelial function, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and heart function. Sixteen volunteers performing a single standard dive (20 min at 33 m) according to US Navy diving procedures were randomly assigned to two groups: one was administered with two doses of 200 mg of ...
Flying after diving: should recommendations be reviewed? In-flight echocardiographic study in bubble-prone and bubble-resistant divers
13 mai 2015, Cialoni, Danilo; Pieri, Massimo; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Marroni, Alessandro,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
INTRODUCTION: Inert gas accumulated after multiple recreational dives can generate tissue supersaturation and bubble formation when ambient pressure decreases. We hypothesized that this could happen even if divers respected the currently recommended 24-hour pre-flight surface interval (PFSI). METHODS: We performed transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) on a group of 56 healthy scuba divers (39 male, ...
Cutis Marmorata skin decompression sickness is a manifestation of brainstem bubble embolization, not of local skin bubbles
10 avril 2015, Germonpré, Peter; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Obeid, Georges; Chers, Dirk,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
"Cutis Marmorata" skin symptoms after diving, most frequently in the form of an itching or painful cutaneous red-bluish discoloration are commonly regarded as a mild form of decompression sickness (DCS), and treated with oxygen inhalation without reverting to hyperbaric recompression treatment. It has been observed that the occurrence of Cutis Marmorata is frequently associated with the presence of ...
Decompression induced bubble dynamics on ex vivo fat and muscle tissue surfaces with a new experimental set up
04 avril 2015, Papadopoulou, Virginie; Evgenidis, Sotiris; Eckersley, Robert; Mesimeris, Thodoris; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Kostoglou, Margaritis; Tang, Meng-Xing; Karapantsios, Thodoris,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Vascular gas bubbles are routinely observed after scuba dives using ultrasound imaging, however the precise formation mechanism and site of these bubbles are still debated and growth from decompression in vivo has not been extensively studied, due in part to imaging difficulties. An experimental set-up was developed for optical recording of bubble growth and density on tissue surface area during ...
The effect of pre-dive ingestion of dark chocolate on endothelial function after a scuba dive
15 mars 2015, THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; BALESTRA, Costantino
; BOUTROS, Antoine; De Bels, David; Guerrero, François; GERMONPRÉ, Peter,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Objective: The aim of the study was to observe the effects of dark chocolate on endothelial function after scuba diving.
Methods: Forty-two male scuba divers were divided into two groups: a control (n=21) and a chocolate group (n=21). They performed a 33-metres deep scuba-air dive for 20 minutes in a diving pool (Nemo 33, Brussels). Water temperature was 33⁰C. The chocolate group ingested 30 g ...
Pre-dive Whole-Body Vibration Better Reduces Decompression-Induced Vascular Gas Emboli than Oxygenation or a Combination of Both
17 février 2015, Cavalade, Maxence; Papadopoulou, Virginie; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Purpose: The purpose of this study was (1) to further explore the heart rate dynamics and assess a potential cardiovascular risk in response to 4000 m jumps in experienced skydivers; (2) to assess whether there is an impact of such jumps on skydivers' cortical arousal or not, which may impact their decision making processes.
Method: 18 experienced skydivers performed successive jumps from a plane ...
Relationships between plasma lipids, proteins, surface tension and post-dive bubbles
13 février 2015, Schellart, Nico; Rozloznik, Miroslav; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Decompression sickness (DCS) in divers is caused by bubbles of inert gas. When DCS occurs, most bubbles can be found in the venous circulation: venous gas emboli (VGE). Bubbles are thought to be stabilized by low molecular weight surfactant reducing the plasma-air surface tension (γ). Proteins may play a role as well. We studied the interrelations between these substances, γ and VGE, measured before ...
Relationships between plasma lipids, proteins, surface tension and post-dive bubbles
13 février 2015, Schellaert, Nicolas; Rolzoznik, Miroslav; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Decompression sickness (DCS) in divers is caused by bubbles of inert gas. When DCS occurs, most bubbles can be found in the venous circulation: venous gas emboli (VGE). Bubbles are thought to be stabilized by low molecular weight surfactant reducing the plasma-air surface tension (γ). Proteins may play a role as well. We studied the interrelations between these substances, γ and VGE, measured before ...
A ternary model of decompression sickness in rats
01 décembre 2014, Buzzacott, Peter; LAMBRECHTS, Kate; Mazur, Aleksandra; Wang, Qiong; Papadopoulou, Virginie; Theron, Michaël; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Guerrero, François,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background: Decompression sickness (DCS) in rats is commonly modelled as a binary outcome. The present study aimed to develop a ternary model of predicting probability of DCS in rats, (as no-DCS, survivable-DCS or death), based upon the compression/decompression profile and physiological characteristics of each rat.
Methods: A literature search identified dive profiles with outcomes no-DCS, ...
The "normobaric oxygen paradox": a new tool for the anesthetist?
10 janvier 2014, Rocco, Monica; Ditri, Luciano; De Bels, David; Corazza, Francis; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Hypoxia is the natural trigger for endogenous EPO production but recently the use of intermittent hyperoxia to stimulate EPO has been postulated and this phenomenon has been called the "normobaric oxygen paradox" (NOP). The "NOP" is a mechanism by which oxygen regulates the expression of the Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 alpha (HIF-1alpha). The HIF-1alpha-depending gene regulation is responsible for ...
Dark chocolate reduces endothelial dysfunction after successive breath-hold dives in cool water
16 septembre 2013, THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Schumacker, Julie; Guerrero, François; Tillmans, Frauke; BOUTROS, Antoine; Lambrechts, Kate; Mazur, Alexandra; Pieri, Massimo; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Objective: The aim of this study is to observe the effects of dark chocolate on endothelial function after a series of successive apnea dives in non-thermoneutral water.
Methods: Twenty breath-hold divers were divided into two groups: a control group (8 males and 2 females) and a chocolate group (9 males and 1 female). The control group was asked to perform a series of dives to 20 m adding up to ...
Effect of a single, open-sea, air scuba dive on human micro- and macrovascular function
15 août 2013, LAMBRECHTS, Kate; Pontier, Jean-Michel; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Mazur, Aleksandra; Wang, Qiong; Buzzacott, Peter; Theron, Michaël; Mansourati, Jacques; Guerrero, François,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Purpose: Previous studies have shown that bubble formation induced endothelial damage on conduit arteries. We aim to evaluate the effect of diving on microvascular and macrovascular function.
Methods: Nine divers took part in a SCUBA dive at 30 msw (400 kPa), for 30 min of bottom time. Pre- and post-dive, they underwent an assessment of endothelial-dependent (acetylcholine) and endothelial-independent ...
The effect of a passive stretch training protocol on performance during a drop jump in humans
15 juin 2013, Lévénez, Morgan; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Bottero, Antoine; SNOECK, Thyl; Bruyère, A; Tinlot, Arnaud; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Provyn, Steven,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Aim: Our study's aim is to show how a five-week stretch training protocol, based on passive stretching, can change muscle performance during a drop jump (stretch shortening cycle).
Methods: This study observes in 8 healthy subjects (four males and four females), the effect of a 5-week passive stretch training protocol on the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) during the performance of a drop jump, ...
Oxidative stress in breath-hold divers after repetitive dives
08 juin 2013, THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Sponciello, Nicholas; Rozloznik, Miroslav; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Guerrero, François; Cialoni, Danilo; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Introduction: Hyperoxia causes oxidative stress. Breath-hold diving is associated with transient hyperoxia followed by hypoxia and a build-up of carbon dioxide (CO₂), chest-wall compression and significant haemodynamic changes. This study analyses variations in plasma oxidative stress markers after a series of repetitive breath-hold dives.
Methods: Thirteen breath-hold divers were asked to perform ...
Effect of tetrahydrobiopterin and exercise training on endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in SHR
02 juin 2013, Guerrero, François; Sanéo, Thioub; Goanvec, Christelle; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Feray, Annie; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Mansourati, Jacques,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
We examined whether the improvement of impaired NO-dependent vasorelaxation by exercise training could be mediated through a BH4-dependent mechanism. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR, n = 20) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY, n = 20) were trained (Tr) for 9 weeks on a treadmill and compared to age-matched sedentary animals (Sed). Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation (EDV) was assessed with ...
The effect of a passive stretch training protocol on performance during a drop jump in humans
30 mars 2013, Levenez, Morgan; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Bottero, Antoine; SNOECK, Thyl; Tinlot, Arnaud; BALESTRA, Costantino
; Provyn, Steven,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Our study's aim is to show how a five-week stretch training protocol, based on passive stretching, can change muscle performance during a drop jump (stretch shortening cycle). METHODS: This study observes in 8 healthy subjects (four males and four females), the effect of a 5-week passive stretch training protocol on the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) during the performance of a drop jump, and identify ...
Nitric oxide-related endothelial changes in breath-hold and scuba divers
01 mars 2013, THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Guerrero, François; Sponciello, Nicholas; Cialoni, Danilo; Pieri, Massimo; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Obeid, Georges; Tillmans, Frauke; Papadopoulou, Virginie; HEMELRYCK, Walter; Marroni, Alessandro; De Bels, David; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Objective: Scuba and breath-hold divers are compared to investigate whether endothelial response changes are similar despite different exposure(s) to hyperoxia.
Design: 14 divers (nine scuba and five breath-holding) performed either one scuba dive (25m/25 minutes) or successive breath-hold dives at a depth of 20 meters, adding up to 25 minutes of immersion time in a diving pool. Flow-mediated ...
The 'normobaric oxygen paradox': does it increase haemoglobin?
14 juin 2012, De Bels, David; THEUNISSEN, Sigrid; Devriendt, Jacques; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Lafère, Pierre; Valsamis, Joseph; SNOECK, Thyl; Meeus, Philippe; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
Background: A novel approach to increasing erythropoietin (EPO) using oxygen (O2) (the 'normobaric oxygen paradox') has been reported in healthy volunteers. We investigated whether the EPO increase is sufficient to induce erythropoiesis by comparing two protocols of O2 administration.
Methods: We compared the effect of daily versus alternate days 100% O2, breathed for 30 minutes, on haemoglobin ...
Ultrasound lung "comets" increase after breath-hold diving
23 octobre 2010, LAMBRECHTS, Kate; GERMONPRÉ, Peter; Charbel, Brian; Cialoni, Danilo; Musimu, Patrick; Sponsiello, Nicola; Marroni, Alessandro; Pastouret, Fredéric; BALESTRA, Costantino
,
- HE Bruxelles Brabant
,
- Article scientifique
Article scientifique
The purpose of the study was to analyze the ultrasound lung comets (ULCs) variation, which are a sign of extra-vascular lung water. Forty-two healthy individuals performed breath-hold diving in different conditions: dynamic surface apnea; deep variable-weight apnea and shallow, face immersed without effort (static maximal and non-maximal). The number of ULCs was evaluated by means of an ultrasound ...