Navigation auf zora.uzh.ch

Search ZORA

ZORA (Zurich Open Repository and Archive)

Effects on Cognitive Functioning of Acute, Subacute and Repeated Exposures to High Altitude

Pun, Matiram; Guadagni, Veronica; Bettauer, Kaitlyn M; Drogos, Lauren L; Aitken, Julie; Hartmann, Sara E; Furian, Michael; Muralt, Lara; Lichtblau, Mona; Bader, Patrick R; Rawling, Jean M; Protzner, Andrea B; Ulrich, Silvia; Bloch, Konrad E; Giesbrecht, Barry; Poulin, Marc J (2018). Effects on Cognitive Functioning of Acute, Subacute and Repeated Exposures to High Altitude. Frontiers in Physiology, 9:1131.

Abstract

Neurocognitive functions are affected by high altitude, however the altitude effects of acclimatization and repeated exposures are unclear. We investigated the effects of acute, subacute and repeated exposure to 5,050 m on cognition among altitude-naïve participants compared to control subjects tested at low altitude. Twenty-one altitude-naïve individuals (25.3 ± 3.8 years, 13 females) were exposed to 5,050 m for 1 week ( and re-exposed after a week of rest at sea-level (). Baseline (BL, 520 m), acute (Day 1, HA1) and acclimatization (Day 6, HA6, 5,050 m) measurements were taken in both cycles. Seventeen control subjects (24.9 ± 2.6 years, 12 females) were tested over a similar period in Calgary, Canada (1,103 m). The Reaction Time (RTI), Attention Switching Task (AST), Rapid Visual Processing (RVP) and One Touch Stockings of Cambridge (OTS) tasks were administered and outcomes were expressed in milliseconds/frequencies. Lake Louise Score (LLS) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO) were recorded. In both cycles, no significant changes were found with acute exposure on the AST total score, mean latency and SD. Significant changes were found upon acclimatization solely in the altitude group, with improved AST Mean Latency [HA1 (588 ± 92) vs. HA6 (526 ± 91), < 0.001] and Latency SD [HA1 (189 ± 86) vs. HA6 (135 ± 65), < 0.001] compared to acute exposure, in . No significant differences were present in the control group. When entering Acute SpO (HA1-BL), Acclimatization SpO (HA6-BL) and LLS score as covariates for both cycles, the effects of acclimatization on AST outcomes disappeared indicating that the changes were partially explained by SpO and LLS. The changes in AST Mean Latency [ΔBL (-61.2 ± 70.2) vs. ΔHA6 (-28.0 ± 58), = 0.005] and the changes in Latency SD [ΔBL (-28.4 ± 41.2) vs. ΔHA6 (-0.2235 ± 34.8), = 0.007] across the two cycles were smaller with acclimatization. However, the percent changes did not differ between cycles. These results indicate independent effects of altitude across repeated exposures. Selective and sustained attention are impaired at altitude and improves with acclimatization.The observed changes are associated, in part, with AMS score and SpO. The gains in cognition with acclimatization during a first exposure are not carried over to repeated exposures.

Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:04 Faculty of Medicine > University Hospital Zurich > Clinic for Pneumology
Dewey Decimal Classification:610 Medicine & health
Scopus Subject Areas:Life Sciences > Physiology
Health Sciences > Physiology (medical)
Language:English
Date:2018
Deposited On:03 Jan 2019 11:05
Last Modified:20 Oct 2024 01:38
Publisher:Frontiers Research Foundation
ISSN:1664-042X
OA Status:Gold
Free access at:PubMed ID. An embargo period may apply.
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01131
PubMed ID:30246787
Download PDF  'Effects on Cognitive Functioning of Acute, Subacute and Repeated Exposures to High Altitude'.
Preview
  • Content: Published Version
  • Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Metadata Export

Statistics

Citations

Dimensions.ai Metrics
37 citations in Web of Science®
40 citations in Scopus®
Google Scholar™

Altmetrics

Downloads

37 downloads since deposited on 03 Jan 2019
4 downloads since 12 months
Detailed statistics

Authors, Affiliations, Collaborations

Similar Publications