You know what? I was thinking of spinal lesions, not brain - you are right
on the money as to the fact that the brain gets all of the other abuse as
well and it is hidden. In the studies I am referring to, the subjects spinal
scans looked the same as an MS patient, and I assume that would do the same
to the brain if it could be separated from the rest of the insults to it.

-----Original Message-----
From: wendell grogan [mailto:docgrog@ya*.de*]
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 4:38 PM
To: Trey; Wendell Grogan; techdiver@aquanaut.com
Subject: RE: brain damage and divers



--- Trey <trey@ne*.co*> schrieb: > Wendell, this
contrast sharply with studies that
> include "commercial" air
> divers who went to 200 feet. The other demarcation
> is bottom times - the
> long 100 foot working dives and any of the 200 range
> produced lesions.

Well, yes and no.  There have been a number of studies
that look at divers and spots in the brain.  However,
this one, for all its limitations, was well controlled
for age, BMI, and bad habits, and included both
military and commercial divers, including some
commercial saturation divers.
The real conclusion that can be drawn from the data is
that elderly- ie older than 40- divers have funny
little spots in their brain on MRI, but at no greater
a rate than old farts with the same eating, drinking,
and smoking habits.
Bottom line, you want to not get brain damage, don't
get fat, smoke, or drink too much.  Diving doesn't
seem to factor in.
BIG note:  I think that the diving profiles you're
talking about may be getting people into trouble in
terms of cumulative brain injury because of the habit
of decompressing people in water up to 15 meters,
running them up to the surface, then throwing them
into the chamber and recompressing them before they
get clinical bends.  I just can't see how that doesn't
cause problems over time.
Wendell G

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