Sleep structure and periodic breathing in Tibetans and Han at simulated altitude of 5000 m

A narrative review of periodic breathing during sleep at high altitude: From acclimatizing lowlanders to adapted highlanders

Periodic breathing during sleep at high altitude is almost universal among sojourners. Here, in the context of acclimatization and adaptation, we provide a contemporary review on periodic breathing at high altitude, and explore whether this is an adaptive or maladaptive process. The mechanism(s), prevalence and role of periodic breathing in acclimatized lowlanders at high altitude are contrasted with the available data from adapted indigenous populations (e.g. Andean and Tibetan highlanders). It is concluded that (1) periodic breathing persists with acclimatization in lowlanders and the severity is proportional to sleeping altitude; (2) periodic breathing does not seem to coalesce with poor sleep quality such that, with acclimatization, there appears to be a lengthening of cycle length and minimal impact on the average sleeping oxygen saturation; and (3) high altitude adapted highlanders appear to demonstrate a blunting of periodic breathing, compared to lowlanders, comprising a feature that withstands the negative influences of chronic mountain sickness. These observations indicate that periodic breathing persists with high altitude acclimatization with no obvious negative consequences; however, periodic breathing is attenuated with high altitude adaptation and therefore potentially reflects an adaptive trait to this environment.

Objective sleep assessments for healthy people in environmental research: A literature review

To date, although many studies had focused on the impact of environmental factors on sleep, how to choose the proper assessment method for objective sleep quality was often ignored, especially for healthy subjects in bedroom environment. In order to provide methodological guidance for future research, this paper reviewed the assessments of objective sleep quality applied in environmental researches, compared them from the perspective of accuracy and interference, and statistically analyzed the impact of experimental type and subjects' information on method selection. The review results showed that, in contrast to polysomnography (PSG), the accuracy of actigraphy (ACT), respiratory monitoring-oxygen saturation monitoring (RM-OSM), and electrocardiograph (ECG) could reach up to 97%, 80.38%, and 79.95%, respectively. In terms of sleep staging, PSG and ECG performed the best, ACT the second, and RM-OSM the worst; as compared to single methods, mix methods were more accurate and better at sleep staging. PSG interfered with sleep a great deal, while ECG and ACT could be non-contact, and thus, the least interference with sleep was present. The type of experiment significantly influenced the choice of assessment method (p < 0.001), 85.3% of researchers chose PSG in laboratory study while 82.5% ACT in field study; moreover, PSG was often used in a relatively small number of young subjects, while ACT had a wide applicable population. In general, researchers need to pay more attention at selection of assessments in future studies, and this review can be used as a reliable reference for experimental design.

The Characteristics of Sleep Apnea in Tibetans and Han Long-Term High Altitude Residents

PURPOSE

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common both at low and high altitude. Since adaptations to high altitude and respiratory control may differ among Tibetans and Hans, we compared characteristics of sleep-disordered breathing in the two ethnic groups at high altitude.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a prospective observational study including 86 Tibetan and Han long-term (>5 years) high altitude residents with chief complaints of snoring and/or witnessed apnea underwent clinical evaluation and polysomnography at 3200 meters in Shangri-La, China.

RESULTS

In 42 Tibetans, 38 men, median (quartiles) age was 50.0 (41.0; 56.0)y, total apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) 53.9 (32.0; 77.5)/h, obstructive AHI 51.0 (28.0; 72.2)/h and central AHI 1.5 (0.2; 3.1)/h. In 44 Hans, 32 men, median (quartiles) age was 47.0 (43.5; 51.0)y, total AHI 22.2 (12.8; 39.2)/h, obstructive AHI 17.7 (12.0; 33.0)/h and central AHI 2.4 (0.5; 3.4)/h (p < 0.001 total and obstructive AHI vs Tibetans). In Tibetans, mean nocturnal oxygen saturation was lower [median 85.0 (83.0; 88.0)% vs 88.5 (87.0; 90.0)%] and obstructive apnea and hypopnea duration was longer [22.0 (19.6; 24.8) sec vs 18.3 (16.7; 20.6) sec] than in Hans (all p < 0.001). In regression analysis, Tibetan ethnicity, neck circumference and high-altitude living duration were the predictors of total AHI. We also found that with every 10/h increase in total AHI, there were an approximately 0.9 beat/min and 0.8 beat/min increase in mean heart rate during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep and 1.9 mmHg and 2.0 mmHg increase in evening and morning systolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that Tibetans presented more severe obstructive sleep apnea, hypoxemia and longer apnea duration compared to Hans at 3200 meters, which was correlated with higher heart rate and blood pressure suggesting a greater cardiovascular risk.

Severity of central sleep apnea does not affect sleeping oxygen saturation during ascent to high altitude

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is characterized by periodic breathing (PB) during sleep, defined as intermittent periods of apnea/hypopnea and hyperventilation, with associated acute fluctuations in oxyhemoglobin saturation (SO₂). CSA has an incidence of ∼50% in heart failure patients but is universal at high altitude (HA; ≥2,500 m), increasing in severity with further ascent and/or time at altitude. However, whether PB is adaptive, maladaptive, or neutral with respect to sleeping SO₂ at altitude is unclear. We hypothesized that PB severity would improve mean sleeping SO₂ during acclimatization to HA due to relative, intermittent hyperventilation subsequent to each apnea. We utilized portable sleep monitors to assess the incidence and severity of CSA via apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and peripheral oxygen saturation ([Formula: see text]) during sleep during two ascent profiles to HA in native lowlanders: 1) rapid ascent to and residence at 3,800 m for 9 days/nights (n = 21) and 2) incremental ascent to 5,160 m over 10 days/nights (n = 21). In both ascent models, severity of AHI and ODI increased and mean sleeping [Formula: see text] decreased, as expected. However, during sleep on the last night/highest altitude of both ascent profiles, neither AHI nor ODI were correlated with mean sleeping [Formula: see text]_. In addition, mean sleeping [Formula: see text] was not significantly different between high and low CSA. These data suggest that CSA is neither adaptive nor maladaptive with regard to mean oxygen saturation during sleep, owing to the relative hyperventilation between apneas, likely correcting transient apnea-mediated oxygen desaturation and maintaining mean oxygenation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Central sleep apnea (CSA) is universal during ascent to high altitude, with intermittent and transient fluctuations in oxygen saturation, but the consequences on mean sleeping blood oxygenation are unclear. We assessed indices of CSA and mean sleeping peripheral oxygen saturation ([Formula: see text]) during ascent to high altitude using two ascent profiles: rapid ascent and residence at 3,800 m and incremental ascent to 5,160 m. The severity of CSA was not correlated with mean sleeping [Formula: see text] with ascent.

The glymphatic system and its role in cerebral homeostasis

The brain's high bioenergetic state is paralleled by high metabolic waste production. Authentic lymphatic vasculature is lacking in brain parenchyma. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow has long been thought to facilitate central nervous system detoxification in place of lymphatics, but the exact processes involved in toxic waste clearance from the brain remain incompletely understood. Over the past 8 yr, novel data in animals and humans have begun to shed new light on these processes in the form of the "glymphatic system," a brain-wide perivascular transit passageway dedicated to CSF transport and interstitial fluid exchange that facilitates metabolic waste drainage from the brain. Here we will discuss glymphatic system anatomy and methods to visualize and quantify glymphatic system (GS) transport in the brain and also discuss physiological drivers of its function in normal brain and in neurodegeneration.

Periodic breathing in healthy young adults in normobaric hypoxia equivalent to 3500 m, 4500 m, and 5500 m altitude

Purpose

The occurrence of periodic breathing (PB) at high altitude during sleep and the quality of sleep are individually different and influenced by multiple factors including sex. Although poor sleep quality at high altitude might not be directly linked to oxygen desaturations, the PB upsurge at high altitude leads to significant oscillations in oxygen saturation.

Methods

Thirty-three students were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups (A, B, C) sleeping one full night in a dormitory with normobaric hypoxia at a F_IO2 of 14.29% (A), a F_IO2 of 12.47% (B), or a F_IO2 of 10.82% (C). Full polysomnography was performed in each participant.

Results

Mean total sleeping time decreased significantly with increasing hypoxia (p < 0.001). Respiratory events changed from central hypopneas to central apneas (CA) with increasing hypoxia: CA = 17.8%, 50.0%, 92.2% of AHI (37.96 events per hour (n/h), 68.55 n/h, 93.44 n/h). AHI (p = 0.014) and time duration of respiratory events (p = 0.003) were significantly different between sexes, both greater in men. REM sleep was reduced.

Conclusions

Men tend to be more prone to PB in normobaric hypoxia. Further research should implicate a longer acclimatization period around simulated 4500 m in order to find out if the exponential increase in PB between 4500 m and 5500 m could be shifted to lower hypoxic levels, i.e., higher altitudes.

Cross-Sectional Comparison of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Native Peruvian Highlanders and Lowlanders

Pham, Luu V., Christopher Meinzen, Rafael S. Arias, Noah G. Schwartz, Adi Rattner, Catherine H. Miele, Philip L. Smith, Hartmut Schneider, J. Jaime Miranda, Robert H. Gilman, Vsevolod Y. Polotsky, William Checkley, and Alan R. Schwartz. Cross-sectional comparison of sleep-disordered breathing in native Peruvian highlanders and lowlanders. High Alt Med Biol. 18:11-19, 2017.

BACKGROUND

Altitude can accentuate sleep disordered breathing (SDB), which has been linked to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. SDB in highlanders has not been characterized in large controlled studies. The purpose of this study was to compare SDB prevalence and severity in highlanders and lowlanders.

METHODS

170 age-, body-mass-index- (BMI), and sex-matched pairs (age 58.2 ± 12.4 years, BMI 27.2 ± 3.5 kg/m2, and 86 men and 84 women) of the CRONICAS Cohort Study were recruited at a sea-level (Lima) and a high-altitude (Puno, 3825 m) setting in Peru. Participants underwent simultaneous nocturnal polygraphy and actigraphy to characterize breathing patterns, movement arousals, and sleep/wake state. We compared SDB prevalence, type, and severity between highlanders and lowlanders as measured by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and pulse oximetry (SPO2) during sleep.

RESULTS

Sleep apnea prevalence was greater in highlanders than in lowlanders (77% vs. 54%, p < 0.001). Compared with lowlanders, highlanders had twofold elevations in AHI due to increases in central rather than obstructive apneas. In highlanders compared with lowlanders, SPO2 was lower during wakefulness and decreased further during sleep (p < 0.001). Hypoxemia during wakefulness predicted sleep apnea in highlanders, and it appears to mediate the effects of altitude on sleep apnea prevalence. Surprisingly, hypoxemia was also quite prevalent in lowlanders, and it was also associated with increased odds of sleep apnea.

CONCLUSIONS

High altitude and hypoxemia at both high and low altitude were associated with increased SDB prevalence and severity. Our findings suggest that a large proportion of highlanders remain at risk for SDB sequelae.

Sleep quality among elderly high-altitude dwellers in Ladakh

It has been already known that people who temporarily stay at high altitude may develop insomnia as a symptom of acute mountain sickness. However, much less is known about people living at high altitude. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of high altitude environment on sleep quality for the elderly who have been living at high altitude for their whole lives. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Domkhar valley at altitudes of 2800-4200m, Ladakh. Sleep quality was assessed using Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Measurement items include body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar, hemoglobin, timed Up and Go test, oxygen saturation during wakefulness, respiratory function test, Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and so on. The participants were Ladakhi older adults aged 60 years or over (n=112) in Domkhar valley. The participation rate was 65.1% (male: female=47:65, mean age: 71.3 years and 67.9 years, respectively). The prevalence of the high score of ISI (8 or more) was 15.2% (17 out of 112). Altitude of residence was significantly correlated with ISI. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that OKS and altitude of residence were significantly related with ISI.

Relationship between mitochondrial haplogroup and physiological responses to hypobaric hypoxia

We aimed to investigate the relationship between mtDNA polymorphism and physiological responses to hypobaric hypoxia. The study included 28 healthy male students, consisting of 18 students in haplogroup D and 10 in haplogroup M7+G. Measurement sensors were attached to the participants for approximately 30 min in an environment with a temperature of 28 °C. After resting for 15 min, the programmed operation of the hypobaric chamber decreased the atmospheric pressure by 11.9 Torr every minute to simulate an increase in altitude of 150 m until 9.7 Torr (equivalent to 2500 m) and then decreased 9.7 Torr every minute until 465 Torr (equivalent to 4000 m). At each altitude, the pressure was maintained for 15 min and various measurements were taken. Haplogroup D showed higher SpO₂ (p < 0.05) and significantly higher SpO₂ during the pressure recovery period when compared with haplogroup M7+G. The distal skin temperature was higher in haplogroup D when compared with M7+G. These results suggested that haplogroup D maintained SpO₂ at a higher level with higher peripheral blood flow during acute hypobaric exposure.

Sleep Architecture in Partially Acclimatized Lowlanders and Native Tibetans at 3800 Meter Altitude: What Are the Differences?

It is not well known whether high altitude acclimatization could help lowlanders improve their sleep architecture as well as Native Tibetans. In order to address this, we investigated the structural differences in sleep between Native Tibetans and partially acclimatized lowlanders and examined the association between sleep architecture and subjective sleep quality. Partially acclimatized soldiers from lowlands and Native Tibetan soldiers stationed at Shangri-La (3800 m) were surveyed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD). The sleep architecture of those without anxiety (as determined by HAMA>14) and/or depression (HAMD>20) was analyzed using polysomnography and the results were compared between the two groups. One hundred sixty-five male soldiers, including 55 Native Tibetans, were included in the study. After partial acclimatization, lowlanders still exhibited differences in sleep architecture as compared to Native Tibetans, as indicated by a higher PSQI score (8.14±2.37 vs. 3.90±2.85, p<0.001), shorter non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep (458.68±112.63 vs. 501±37.82 min, P=0.03), lower nocturnal arterial oxygen saturation (Spo2; mean 91.39±1.24 vs. 92.71±2.12%, p=0.03), and increased times of Spo2 reduction from 89% to 85% (median 48 vs.17, p=0.04) than Native Tibetans. Sleep onset latency (β=0.08, 95%CI: 0.01 to 0.15), non-REM latency (β=0.011, 95%CI 0.001 to 0.02), mean Spo2 (β=-0.79, 95%CI: -1.35 to -0.23) and time in stage 3+4 sleep (β=-0.014, 95%CI: -0.001 to -0.028) were slightly associated with the PSQI score. Partially acclimatized lowlanders experienced less time in non-REM sleep and had lower arterial oxygen saturation than Native Tibetans at an altitude of 3800 m. The main independent contributors to poor sleep quality are hypoxemia, difficulty in sleep induction, and time in deep sleep.

Differences in cardiovascular and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functions between high-altitude visitors and natives during a trek on the Annapurna circuit

OBJECTIVE

Differences in the cardiovascular and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functions at high altitudes (HAs) between visitors to and natives of HA were examined.

METHODS

The cardiovascular functions and peripheral oxygen saturation (SPO2) were monitored, and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and nighttime cortisol concentration (NCC), as indices of the HPA axis function, were determined in 25 trekkers and 21 Sherpas during an Annapurna circuit trek.

RESULTS

SPO2 decreased less in the Sherpas than in the trekkers at HAs (3,540, 3,800, and 4,800 m). Blood pressure and heart rate in the Sherpas changed concurrently during the trek; however, a tachycardic response occurred without changes in blood pressure in the trekkers at HAs. The CAR and NCC at HAs in the trekkers differed from those observed at 1,100 m and those observed at HAs in the Sherpas. The trekkers exhibited an elevated morning cortisol level at 3,540 and 3,800 m, a heightened CAR at 4,800 m, and an elevated NCC at 3,800 m. Alteration of the CAR resulted in an increase in the integrated volume of cortisol released within the first hour after awakening (CARauc) in the trekkers. The changes in SPO2 occurred concurrently with the changes in the CARauc and the heart rate in the trekkers.

CONCLUSIONS

The alterations of CAR occurred at HAs where blood pressure levels reached a peak plateau, which is associated with an increase in heart rate at HAs in the trekkers. The CAR was unaltered in the Sherpas during the trek.

Genetic signatures reveal high-altitude adaptation in a set of ethiopian populations

The Tibetan and Andean Plateaus and Ethiopian highlands are the largest regions to have long-term high-altitude residents. Such populations are exposed to lower barometric pressures and hence atmospheric partial pressures of oxygen. Such “hypobaric hypoxia” may limit physical functional capacity, reproductive health, and even survival. As such, selection of genetic variants advantageous to hypoxic adaptation is likely to have occurred. Identifying signatures of such selection is likely to help understanding of hypoxic adaptive processes. Here, we seek evidence of such positive selection using five Ethiopian populations, three of which are from high-altitude areas in Ethiopia. As these populations may have been recipients of Eurasian gene flow, we correct for this admixture. Using single-nucleotide polymorphism genotype data from multiple populations, we find the strongest signal of selection in BHLHE41 (also known as DEC2 or SHARP1). Remarkably, a major role of this gene is regulation of the same hypoxia response pathway on which selection has most strikingly been observed in both Tibetan and Andean populations. Because it is also an important player in the circadian rhythm pathway, BHLHE41 might also provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the recognized impacts of hypoxia on the circadian clock. These results support the view that Ethiopian, Andean, and Tibetan populations living at high altitude have adapted to hypoxia differently, with convergent evolution affecting different genes from the same pathway.

Sleep under extreme environments: Effects of heat and cold exposure, altitude, hyperbaric pressure and microgravity in space

Human sleep is sensitive to the individual's environment. The present review examines current knowledge of human sleep patterns under different environments: heat exposure, cold exposure, altitude, high pressure and microgravity in space. Heat exposure has two effects. In people living in temperate conditions, moderate heat loads (hot bath, sauna) prior to sleep provoke a delayed reaction across time (diachronic reaction) whereby slow-wave sleep (SWS) augments in the following night (neurogenic adaptive pathway). Melanoids and Caucasians living in the Sahel dry tropical climate experience diachronic increases in SWS throughout seasonal acclimatization. Such increases are greater during the hot season, being further enhanced after daytime exercise. On the contrary, when subjects are acutely exposed to heat, diachronic decreases in total sleep time and SWS occur, being often accompanied by synchronic (concomitant) diminution in REM sleep. Stress hormones increase. Nocturnal cold exposure provokes a synchronic decrease in REM sleep along with an activation of stress hormones (synchronic somatic reaction). SWS remains undisturbed as it still occurs at the beginning of the night before nocturnal body cooling. Altitude and high pressure are deleterious to sleep, especially in non-acclimatized individuals. In their controlled environment, astronauts can sleep well in microgravity. Exercise-induced sleep changes help to understand environmental effects on sleep: well-tolerated environmental strains may improve sleep through a neurogenic adaptive pathway; when this "central" adaptive pathway is overloaded or bypassed, diachronic and synchronic sleep disruptions occur.

Nocturnal breathing in cyanotic congenital heart disease

BACKGROUND

Sleep disordered breathing is frequently observed in patients with cardiovascular disease. Even in the absence of heart disease, acute and chronic hypoxia have been shown to promote sleep-related periodic breathing with central apnea characterized by a repetitive reduction or lack of respiratory activity. Cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) is associated with chronic hypoxia, regardless of whether an increase in pulmonary artery pressures coexists. Sleep aggravated hypoxia has been observed in many such patients, but it remains to be determined whether sleep disordered breathing is contributory. We, therefore, sought to assess sleep-related breathing pattern in patients with CCHD.

METHODS

Adults with CCHD, resting arterial oxygen saturation <90%, and systemic ejection fraction >40% were prospectively enrolled in a cross-sectional study. To assess sleep and respiratory indices, subjects underwent a standardized clinical appraisal that included arterial blood gas analysis and a comprehensive sleep study with an ambulatory device. An apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >or=5/h was considered to indicate sleep apnea.

RESULTS

Ten adults with CCHD, aged 38+/-11 years, completed the study. Seven patients had elevated pulmonary artery pressures, with a mean systolic pressure of 86.3+/-18.1 mm Hg. All patients demonstrated normal sleep parameters. Oxygen saturation further declined in 5 patients during sleep. However, no associated alteration in respiratory parameters was observed and no significant arrhythmia. The mean AHI was 1.1+/-1.0/h. No subject met the pre-defined criterion for sleep apnea.

CONCLUSION

Although further oxygen desaturation may be observed during sleep in patients with CCHD, it occurs in the absence of sleep disordered breathing.

High Altitude Adaptation in Tibetans

Since the beginning of the Himalayan climbing era, the anecdotal extraordinary physical performance at high altitude of Sherpas and Tibetans has intrigued scientists interested in altitude adaptation. These ethnic groups may have been living at high altitude for longer than any other population, and the hypothesis of a possible evolutionary genetic adaptation to altitude makes sense. Reviewed here is the evidence as to whether Tibetans are indeed better adapted for life and work at high altitude as compared to other populations and, if so, whether this better adaptation might be inborn. Tibetans, compared to lowlanders, maintain higher arterial oxygen saturation at rest and during exercise and show less loss of aerobic performance with increasing altitude. Tibetans have greater hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory responsiveness, larger lungs, better lung function, and greater lung diffusing capacity than lowlanders. Blood hemoglobin concentration is lower in Tibetans than in lowlanders or Andeans living at similar altitudes. Tibetans develop only minimal hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and have higher levels of exhaled nitric oxide than lowlanders or Andeans. Tibetans' sleep quality at altitude is better and they desaturate less at night. Several of these findings are also found in Tibetans born at low altitude when exposed for the first time to high altitude once adult. In conclusion, Tibetans indeed seem better adapted to life and work at high altitude, and this superior adaptation may very well be inborn, even though its exact genetic basis remains to be elucidated.

Tibetans at Extreme Altitude

Between 1960 and 2003, 13 Chinese expeditions successfully reached the summit of Chomolungma (Mt Everest or Sagarmatha). Forty-five of the 80 summiteers were Tibetan highlanders. During these and other high-altitude expeditions in Tibet, a series of medical and physiological investigations were carried out on the Tibetan mountaineers. The results suggest that these individuals are better adapted to high altitude and that, at altitude, they have a greater physical capacity than Han (ethnic Chinese) lowland newcomers. They have higher maximal oxygen uptake, greater ventilation, more brisk hypoxic ventilatory responses, larger lung volumes, greater diffusing capacities, and a better quality of sleep. Tibetans also have a lower incidence of acute mountain sickness and less body weight loss. These differences appear to represent genetic adaptations and are obviously significant for humans at extreme altitude. This paper reviews what is known about the physiologic responses of Tibetans at extreme altitudes.

Sleep at High Altitude

New arrivals to altitude commonly experience poor-quality sleep. These complaints are associated with increased fragmentation of sleep by frequent brief arousals, which are in turn linked to periodic breathing. Changes in sleep architecture include a shift toward lighter sleep stages, with marked decrements in slow-wave sleep and with variable decreases in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Respiratory periodicity at altitude reflects alternating respiratory stimulation by hypoxia and subsequent inhibition by hyperventilation-induced hypocapnia. Increased hypoxic ventilatory responsiveness and loss of regularization of breathing during sleep contribute to the occurrence of periodicity. Interventions that improve sleep quality at high altitude include acetazolamide and benzodiazepines.