Research on Heart Rate Variability in Submersible Personnel during Actual Deep-sea Submersible Operation

Yang Haifei; Shi Lu; Liu Feng; Liu Baohua; Zhang Yanmeng; Li Yangyang; Li Xiangyang; Gao Xiang

doi:10.16289/j.cnki.1002-0837.2017.04.004

Abstract：Objective To investigate the heart rate variability(HRV) changes and study the automatic nervous system activity of submersible personnel during actual long submersible operation,and so that to assess the workload of pilots.Methods Two submersible pilots and three technicians participated in the experiment.A pilot and a technician who provided technique support took "Jiaolong" submersible in each submersible operation task.Their electrocardiogram(ECG) before and during the approximately 11 h tasks were recorded.Heart rate(HR) and some heart rate variability(HRV) components in time and frequency domains were assessed.Results For all subjects,HR reached its maximum of all data observed at 1 h and then gradually decreased to baseline level;HR was significantly higher than baseline value from 1 h to 6 h in pilots and from 1 h to 4 h in technicians (P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01).A significant increase in LF/HF and a decrease in HF/TP compared to baseline (P ＜ 0.01) in pilots at 1 h,10 h and 11 h (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01) were observed.SDNN in technicians increased significantly at 8 h,9 h and 11 h (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion During diving and rising,the sympathetic nerve activity increased and the parasympathetic activity decreased in pilots but not in technicians,which might be due to the pilots' high workload during these two phases.The significant increase of HR during diving seems to indicate there were stress reactions in subjects.During operation,HR of pilots gradually stabilized but increased sympathetic activity were observed at times,which indicates HRV components might be more sensitive than HR in evaluating workload of submersible pilots.