Prospective interventional trial in lowlanders evaluating the effect of acute exposure, acclimatization and re-exposure to high altitude on global cognitive function.
Baseline measurements will be performed in Santiago de Chile, 520 m, over the course of 3 days. Participants will then travel by commercial airline (2 h flight) and by bus (2 h ride) to the ALMA base camp located at 2900 m near San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile. Participants will stay there for the next 7 nights and they will be spend the days (6 total; 6-8 h daily) at the telescope station at 5050 m while undergoing testing as described above at the first and the last day at 5050m. Daily transports from 2900 to 5050 m will be by car (1 h ride, one way). After the first 7 day altitude sojourn participants will return to the Santiago area (520 m) for a 7 day recovery period. A second altitude sojourn with an identical schedule as the one described above and a final low altitude stay of 3 days will follow.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
18
Acute high altitude exposure followed by 8 day acclimatization and re-exposure for 8 days after 6 days at low altitude
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Change in global cognitive function assessed by neuropsychological test battery
Change in global cognition measured across two cycles of altitude exposure, comparing 5050m to 520m
Time frame: Low altitude sojourn at 520m (Baseline); first sojourn at 5050m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050m Day 2, 7 (each sojourn cycle = 7 days)
Change in cognitive subdomains (visual memory, executive function, working memory and planning, attention, semantic/verbal memory, decision-making and response control) assessed by neuropsychological test battery
Change in cognitive subdomains (visual memory, executive function, working memory and planning, attention, semantic/verbal memory, decision-making and response control) measured across two cycles of altitude exposure, comparing 5050m to 520m
Time frame: Low altitude sojourn at 520m (Baseline); first sojourn at 5050m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050m Day 2, 7 (each sojourn cycle = 7 days)
Change in oxidative stress measured by venous blood sampling
Change in oxidative stress measured before and after high altitude exposure
Time frame: Low altitude sojourn at 520m (Baseline); first sojourn at 5050m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050m Day 2, 7 (each sojourn cycle = 7 days)
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