Deep Brain

Oxygen toxicity is a problem in diving, with potentially fatal consequences for the diver in the water. When divers use a closed-circuit oxygen rebreathing apparatus, they are breathing O2 100% and are exposed to hyperoxide conditions. In this scenario, the body could be affected in different ways depending on the type of exposure. The electrical activity of the brain is sensitive to its oxygen supply. In this project we study the source and functional connectivity through brain sources to evaluate the physiological effects of oxygen breathing and to delineate different diving profiles, providing indications on the potential risk of a dive. The project targets the acquisition and processing of signals from distributed wearable body sensors in extreme conditions, that is during under-water training and operation of divers of the ComSubIn. Even though this could be considered as a niche project, it would provide the unique opportunity to investigating the modulation of the physiological and neurophysiological activity in such critical scenarios unveiling mechanisms that could not be observed in normal laboratory conditions and opening new perspectives in neural modulation. This is not only unique, but also poses an outside-the-norm technical challenges.

People

Silvia Francesca Storti

silviafrancesca.storti@univr.it