Effect of High Altitude Exposure, Acclimatization and Re-exposure on Postural Control in Lowlanders

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Effect of High Altitude

• 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.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2016-03-31
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-03-31
• Study First Posted: 2016-04-06
• Study Start: 2016-04-09
• Primary Completion: 2016-05-04
• Study Completion: 2016-05-04
• Status Verified: 2019-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-01-15
• Last Update Posted: 2019-01-17

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 21

Inclusion Criteria

• born, raised and currently living <800m
• No overnight stay at altitudes >1500 m 4 weeks before the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Previous altitude intolerance to altitude <3000 m
• Pregnancy
• Health impairment, which requires regular treatment

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

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; 🇨🇭 Zurich, Switzerland