Alterations of source and connectivity EEG patterns under simulated deep-SEA condition

New wireless technologies can overcame technical and safetyproblems of older ones for recording biological signal in hyperbaricchamber. In an application of a Bluetooth system,we measured the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity inprofessional divers in a hyperbaric chamber to determine howoxygen affects the brain activity. The cortical sources and theconnectivity of the EEG rhythms were estimated in three conditions:breathing air at sea level; breathing O2 at a simulateddepth of 18 msw; breathing air at sea level after decompression.The oxygen condition was characterized by an amplitudeincrease in the alpha and beta sources in the parietal andoccipital areas and decrease in the occipital delta and thetasources for at least 20 mins, with a parallel disconnection ofthe frontal-parietal links in the early minutes of O2 breathing.These results may be relevant for establishing a referencepoint in future studies on oxygen- sensitive subjects.