Effect of High Altitude Exposure, Acclimatization and Re-exposure on Postural Control in Lowlanders
- Conditions
- Effect of High Altitude
- Interventions
- Other: altitude exposure
- Registration Number
- NCT02730182
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Zurich
- Brief Summary
Prospective interventional trial in lowlanders evaluating the effect of acute exposure, acclimatization and re-exposure to high altitude on postural control
- Detailed Description
Baseline measurements including the assessment of the center of pressure during 30s, the cerebral oxygen saturation and a sharpened Romberg test will be performed in Santiago de Chile, 520 m, over the course of 3 days. Participants will then travel by commercial airline (5 h flight) and by bus (3 h ride) to the base camp of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope station located at 2900 m near San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile. Participants will stay there for the next 8 nights and they will be spend the days (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 8 day altitude sojourn participants will return to the Santiago area (520 m) for a 6 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.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 21
- born, raised and currently living <800m
- No overnight stay at altitudes >1500 m 4 weeks before the study
- Previous altitude intolerance to altitude <3000 m
- Pregnancy
- Health impairment, which requires regular treatment
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Altitude exposure altitude exposure Acute high altitude exposure followed by 8 day acclimatization and reexposure for 8 days after 6 days at low altitude
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Center of pressure path length measured by Wii-balance board Low altitude sojourn at 520 m; first sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7 Changes in center of pressure path length during the 2 sojourns at 5050 m and compared to lowland.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Cerebral tissue oxygen saturation measured by near infrared spectroscopy Low altitude sojourn at 520 m; first sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7 Changes in cerebral oxygen saturation during the 2 sojourns at 5050 m and compared to lowland.
Postural stability measured by sharpened Romberg-test and heel-to-toe walk Low altitude sojourn at 520 m; first sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7 Changes in postural stability during the 2 sojourns at 5050 m and compared to lowland.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Zurich
🇨ðŸ‡Zurich, Switzerland