Ren Hong, Zhu Yun-Peng, Su Rui, Li Hao, Pan Yong-Yue
Plateau Key Laboratory of High Altitudes Brain Science and Environmental Acclimation, Tibet University, Lhasa, China.
School of Medicine, Tibet University, Lhasa, China.
Front Physiol. 2024 Aug 30;15:1378987. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1378987. eCollection 2024.
Hypoxia due to reduced partial pressure of oxygen from high-altitude exposure affects the cognitive function of high-altitude migrants. Executive function is an important component of human cognitive function, characterized by high oxygen consumption during activity, and its level can be measured using cognitive control capacity (CCC). In addition, there is evidence for the potential value of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) interventions in improving cognitive decline on the plateau. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term high-altitude exposure on CCC in high-altitude newcomers and whether hyperbaric oxygen intervention has an ameliorative effect.
This study measured the magnitude of participants' CCC using a Backward Masking Majority Function Task (MFT-M). Study 1 was a controlled study of different altitude conditions, with 64 participants in the high-altitude newcomer group and 64 participants in the low-altitude resident group, each completing the MFT-M task once. Study 2 was a controlled HBO intervention study in which newcomers who had lived at a high altitude for 2 years were randomly divided into the HBO group (n = 28) and control group (n = 28). 15 times hyperbaric oxygen interventions were performed in the HBO group. Subjects in both groups completed the MFT-M task once before and once after the intervention.
Study 1 showed that CCC was significantly higher in the low-altitude resident group than in the high-altitude newcomer group ( = 0.031). Study 2 showed that the CCC in the HBO group was significantly higher after 15 hyperbaric interventions than before ( = 0.005), while there was no significant difference in the control group ( = 0.972). The HBO group had significantly higher correct task rates than the control group after the intervention ( = 0.001).
This study confirms that long-term high-altitude exposure leads to impairment of CCC in high-altitude newcomers and that hyperbaric oxygen intervention is effective in improving CCC.
高海拔暴露导致氧分压降低引起的缺氧会影响高海拔移居者的认知功能。执行功能是人类认知功能的重要组成部分，其活动期间耗氧量高，其水平可通过认知控制能力（CCC）来衡量。此外，有证据表明高压氧（HBO）干预在改善高原认知功能衰退方面具有潜在价值。因此，本研究的目的是调查长期高海拔暴露对高海拔新移居者CCC的影响，以及高压氧干预是否具有改善作用。
本研究使用反向掩蔽多数函数任务（MFT-M）测量参与者的CCC大小。研究1是一项不同海拔条件的对照研究，高海拔新移居者组有64名参与者，低海拔居住者组有64名参与者，每组各完成一次MFT-M任务。研究2是一项对照HBO干预研究，将在高海拔居住2年的新移居者随机分为HBO组（n = 28）和对照组（n = 28）。HBO组进行15次高压氧干预。两组受试者在干预前后各完成一次MFT-M任务。
研究1表明，低海拔居住者组的CCC显著高于高海拔新移居者组（P = 0.031）。研究2表明，HBO组在15次高压干预后的CCC显著高于干预前（P = 0.005），而对照组无显著差异（P = 0.972）。干预后，HBO组的正确任务率显著高于对照组（P = 0.001）。
本研究证实，长期高海拔暴露会导致高海拔新移居者的CCC受损，高压氧干预对改善CCC有效。
