2026-10-12T10:56:11Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34023346 2026-09-29T11:07:45Z category_7 category_12 category_14 category_15 category_16 category_24 category_45 category_64 category_122 category_132 portal_63 item_type_6 month_year_09_2026

High-Altitude Exposure: Effects on Cognitive Performance, Neurovascular Mechanisms, and Mitigation Strategies Qianli Dong (9035567) Haonan Li (1493827) Yifan Xu (87249) Yi Zhang (9093) Yingfeng Gao (6188495) Zhiying Wu (5349284) Chunxiang Ye (590012) Jicheng Gong (674131) Tong Zhu (8079) Medicine Cell Biology Molecular Biology Neuroscience Physiology Evolutionary Biology Sociology Cancer Mental Health Infectious Diseases ∼ 50 meters serum analysis revealed move toward baseline mitigate neurocognitive risks derived neurotrophic factor 5 percentage points 3600 – 5000 neurovascular measures tended ml compensatory rise mediation analyses suggested like protein 1 findings provide evidence crtt errors increased mitigation strategies travel stroop errors increased 11 – 2 stroop errors findings suggested signal increased neurovascular mechanisms ml increase present findings 1 pg upon ascent subsequently returned significant direction sea level point increase oxygen supplementation neural activity larger cohorts l .)) l .) indirect association hypobaric hypoxia behavioral changes bdnf ). approximately 10 altitude exposure 21 ), 16 ). Travel to and work at high altitudes expose individuals to hypobaric hypoxia; however, its effects on neural activity and function remain insufficiently understood. Here, we present findings from a longitudinal panel study incorporating oxygen supplementation tests in individuals who traveled from low altitude (Beijing, ∼50 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.)) to high altitude (Xizang, 3600–5000 m.a.s.l.) and subsequently returned to low altitude. Upon ascent from low to high altitude, peripheral oxygen saturation decreased by approximately 10.5 percentage points, accompanied by a 2.48-point increase in Acute Mountain Sickness symptom scores. The odds of CRTT errors increased at Visit 2 (OR = 3.21), and the odds of Stroop errors increased at Visits 3–5 (ORs of 2.11–2.16). Additionally, the relative cerebral deoxygenated hemoglobin (ΔHbR) signal increased by 3.0 μM·mm during tests. Serum analysis revealed a 390.1 pg/mL increase in chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), indicating inflammatory activation, and a 37.1 pg/mL compensatory rise in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Mediation analyses suggested an indirect association of high-altitude exposure with Stroop errors through ΔHbR. Furthermore, our findings suggested that a few minutes of oxygen supplementation at high altitude may improve cerebral oxygenation, with behavioral changes in a favorable but non-significant direction, while cognitive and neurovascular measures tended to move toward baseline after return to low altitude. These findings provide evidence that high-altitude exposure is associated with significant yet potentially reversible neurocognitive effects, underscoring the need for confirmation in larger cohorts and further evaluation of strategies to mitigate neurocognitive risks. 2026-09-29T00:00:00Z Text Journal contribution 10.1021/envhealth.6c00248.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/High-Altitude_Exposure_Effects_on_Cognitive_Performance_Neurovascular_Mechanisms_and_Mitigation_Strategies/34023346 CC BY-NC 4.0