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Patrician A, Anholm JD, Ainslie PN. A narrative review of periodic breathing during sleep at high altitude: From acclimatizing lowlanders to adapted highlanders. J Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38534039 DOI: 10.1113/jp285427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Patrician
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia - Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - James D Anholm
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Philip N Ainslie
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia - Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
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Brent MB, Emmanuel T, Simonsen U, Brüel A, Thomsen JS. Hypobaric hypoxia deteriorates bone mass and strength in mice. Bone 2022; 154:116203. [PMID: 34536630 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.116203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Mountaineers at high altitude are at increased risk of acute mountain sickness as well as high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema. A densitometric study in mountaineers has suggested that expeditions at high altitude decrease bone mineral density. Surprisingly, the in vivo skeletal effects of hypobaric hypoxia are largely unknown, and have not been studied using advanced contemporary methods to assess bone microstructure. Eighty-four 22-week-old female mice were divided into seven groups with 12 mice in each group: 1. Baseline; 2. Normobaric, 4 weeks; 3. Hypobaric hypoxia, 4 weeks; 4. Normobaric, 8 weeks; 5. Hypobaric hypoxia, 8 weeks; 6. Normobaric, 12 weeks; and 7. Hypobaric hypoxia, 12 weeks. Hypobaric hypoxia mice were housed in hypobaric chambers at an ambient pressure of 500 mbar (5500 m altitude), while normobaric mice were housed at sea level atmospheric pressure for 4, 8, or 12 weeks, respectively. Hypobaric hypoxia had a profound impact on femoral cortical bone and L4 trabecular bone, while the effect on femoral trabecular bone was less pronounced. Hypobaric hypoxia reduced the bone strength of the femoral mid-diaphysis and L4 at all time-points. At femoral cortical bone, hypobaric hypoxia reduced bone formation through fewer mineralizing surfaces and lower bone formation rate after 2 weeks. In addition, bone strength decreased, and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I) increased independently of the duration of exposure to simulated high altitude. At L4, hypobaric hypoxia resulted in a substantial reduction in bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, and trabecular number after 4 weeks of exposure. Hypobaric hypoxia reduced bone strength and femoral bone mass, while femoral trabecular bone was much less affected, indicating the skeletal response to hypobaric hypoxia differ between cortical and trabecular bone. These findings provide initial preclinical support for future clinical studies in mountaineers to assess bone status and bone strength after exposure to prolonged high altitude exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Bo Brent
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Thomas Emmanuel
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ulf Simonsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Annemarie Brüel
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Heinrich EC, Orr JE, Gilbertson D, Anza-Ramirez C, DeYoung PN, Djokic MA, Corante N, Vizcardo-Galindo G, Macarlupu JL, Gaio E, Powell FL, Malhotra A, Villafuerte FC, Simonson TS. Relationships Between Chemoreflex Responses, Sleep Quality, and Hematocrit in Andean Men and Women. Front Physiol 2020; 11:437. [PMID: 32435207 PMCID: PMC7219107 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Andean highlanders are challenged by chronic hypoxia and many exhibit elevated hematocrit (Hct) and blunted ventilation compared to other high-altitude populations. While many Andeans develop Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS) and excessive erythrocytosis, Hct varies markedly within Andean men and women and may be driven by individual differences in ventilatory control and/or sleep events which exacerbate hypoxemia. To test this hypothesis, we quantified relationships between resting ventilation and ventilatory chemoreflexes, sleep desaturation, breathing disturbance, and Hct in Andean men and women. Ventilatory measures were made in 109 individuals (n = 63 men; n = 46 women), and sleep measures in 45 of these participants (n = 22 men; n = 23 women). In both men and women, high Hct was associated with low daytime SpO2 (p < 0.001 and p < 0.002, respectively) and decreased sleep SpO2 (mean, nadir, and time <80%; all p < 0.02). In men, high Hct was also associated with increased end-tidal PCO2 (p < 0.009). While ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia did not predict Hct, decreased hypoxic ventilatory responses were associated with lower daytime SpO2 in men (p < 0.01) and women (p < 0.009) and with lower nadir sleep SpO2 in women (p < 0.02). Decreased ventilatory responses to CO2 were associated with more time below 80% SpO2 during sleep in men (p < 0.05). The obstructive apnea index and apnea-hypopnea index also predicted Hct and CMS scores in men after accounting for age, BMI, and SpO2 during sleep. Finally, heart rate response to hypoxia was lower in men with higher Hct (p < 0.0001). These data support the idea that hypoventilation and decreased ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia are associated with decreased day time and nighttime SpO2 levels that may exacerbate the stimulus for erythropoiesis in Andean men and women. However, interventional and longitudinal studies are required to establish the causal relationships between these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica C Heinrich
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Jeremy E Orr
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Dillon Gilbertson
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Cecilia Anza-Ramirez
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Pamela N DeYoung
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Matea A Djokic
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Noemi Corante
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Gustavo Vizcardo-Galindo
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Jose L Macarlupu
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Eduardo Gaio
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Frank L Powell
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Atul Malhotra
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Francisco C Villafuerte
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Tatum S Simonson
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Donegani E, Paal P, Küpper T, Hefti U, Basnyat B, Carceller A, Bouzat P, van der Spek R, Hillebrandt D. Drug Use and Misuse in the Mountains: A UIAA MedCom Consensus Guide for Medical Professionals. High Alt Med Biol 2016; 17:157-184. [PMID: 27583821 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2016.0080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Donegani, Enrico, Peter Paal, Thomas Küpper, Urs Hefti, Buddha Basnyat, Anna Carceller, Pierre Bouzat, Rianne van der Spek, and David Hillebrandt. Drug use and misuse in the mountains: a UIAA MedCom consensus guide for medical professionals. High Alt Med Biol. 17:157-184, 2016.-Aims: The aim of this review is to inform mountaineers about drugs commonly used in mountains. For many years, drugs have been used to enhance performance in mountaineering. It is the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation-Union International des Associations d'Alpinisme) Medcom's duty to protect mountaineers from possible harm caused by uninformed drug use. The UIAA Medcom assessed relevant articles in scientific literature and peer-reviewed studies, trials, observational studies, and case series to provide information for physicians on drugs commonly used in the mountain environment. Recommendations were graded according to criteria set by the American College of Chest Physicians. RESULTS Prophylactic, therapeutic, and recreational uses of drugs relevant to mountaineering are presented with an assessment of their risks and benefits. CONCLUSIONS If using drugs not regulated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), individuals have to determine their own personal standards for enjoyment, challenge, acceptable risk, and ethics. No system of drug testing could ever, or should ever, be policed for recreational climbers. Sponsored climbers or those who climb for status need to carefully consider both the medical and ethical implications if using drugs to aid performance. In some countries (e.g., Switzerland and Germany), administrative systems for mountaineering or medication control dictate a specific stance, but for most recreational mountaineers, any rules would be unenforceable and have to be a personal decision, but should take into account the current best evidence for risk, benefit, and sporting ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Donegani
- 1 Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sabah Al-Ahmed Cardiac Center , Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, State of Kuwait
| | - Peter Paal
- 2 Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Innsbruck University Hospital , Innsbruck, Austria .,3 Department of Perioperative Medicine, Barts Heart Centre, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom .,4 Perioperative Medicine, St. Bartholomew's Hospital , London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Küpper
- 5 Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen, Germany
| | - Urs Hefti
- 6 Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Swiss Sportclinic , Bern, Switzerland
| | - Buddha Basnyat
- 7 Oxford University Clinical Research Unit-Nepal , Nepal International Clinic, and Himalayan Rescue, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Anna Carceller
- 8 Sports Medicine School, Instituto de Medicina de Montaña y del Deporte (IMMED), Federació d'Entitats Excursionistes (FEEC), University of Barcelona , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pierre Bouzat
- 9 Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University Hospital, INSERM U1236, Neuroscience Institute, Alps University, Grenoble, France
| | - Rianne van der Spek
- 10 Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Kong F, Liu S, Li Q, Wang L. Sleep Architecture in Partially Acclimatized Lowlanders and Native Tibetans at 3800 Meter Altitude: What Are the Differences? High Alt Med Biol 2015; 16:223-9. [PMID: 26248036 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2014.1058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanyi Kong
- Department of Neurology, Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Command , Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shixiang Liu
- Department of Neurology, Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Command , Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiong Li
- Department of Neurology, Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Command , Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Neurology, Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Command , Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
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Guan W, Ga Q, Li R, Bai ZZ, Wuren T, Wang J, Yang YZ, Li YH, Ge RL. Sleep disturbances in long-term immigrants with chronic mountain sickness: A comparison with healthy immigrants at high altitude. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2015; 206:4-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2014.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Moraga FA, Jiménez D, Richalet JP, Vargas M, Osorio J. Periodic breathing and oxygen supplementation in Chilean miners at high altitude (4200m). Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2014; 203:109-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Revised: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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8
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Ainslie PN, Lucas SJ, Burgess KR. Breathing and sleep at high altitude. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2013; 188:233-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2013.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2013] [Revised: 05/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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9
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Gonzales GF. Serum testosterone levels and excessive erythrocytosis during the process of adaptation to high altitudes. Asian J Androl 2013; 15:368-74. [PMID: 23524530 DOI: 10.1038/aja.2012.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Populations living at high altitudes (HAs), particularly in the Peruvian Andes, are characterized by a mixture of subjects with erythrocytosis (16 g dl(-1)<haemoglobin (Hb)≤21 g dl(-1)) and others with excessive erythrocytosis (EE) (Hb>21 g dl(-1)). Elevated haemoglobin values (EE) are associated with chronic mountain sickness, a condition reflecting the lack of adaptation to HA. According to current data, native men from regions of HA are not adequately adapted to live at such altitudes if they have elevated serum testosterone levels. This seems to be due to an increased conversion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) to testosterone. Men with erythrocytosis at HAs show higher serum androstenedione levels and a lower testosterone/androstenedione ratio than men with EE, suggesting reduced 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17beta-HSD) activity. Lower 17beta-HSD activity via Δ4-steroid production in men with erythrocytosis at HA may protect against elevated serum testosterone levels, thus preventing EE. The higher conversion of DHEAS to testosterone in subjects with EE indicates increased 17beta-HSD activity via the Δ5-pathway. Currently, there are various situations in which people live (human biodiversity) with low or high haemoglobin levels at HA. Antiquity could be an important adaptation component for life at HA, and testosterone seems to participate in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo F Gonzales
- High Altitude Research Institute and Department of Biological and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Philosophy, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 31, Peru.
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Hoshikawa M, Uchida S, Ganeko M, Sumitomo J, Totoki M, Kojima T, Nakamura Y, Kawahara T. Sleep quality under mild hypoxia in men with low hypoxic ventilatory response. Eur J Sport Sci 2012; 14 Suppl 1:S205-12. [DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2012.681805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Abstract
Large numbers of people travel to high altitudes, entering an environment of hypobaric hypoxia. Exposure to low oxygen tension leads to a series of important physiologic responses that allow individuals to tolerate these hypoxic conditions. However, in some cases hypoxia triggers maladaptive responses that lead to various forms of acute and chronic high altitude illness, such as high-altitude pulmonary edema or chronic mountain sickness. Because the respiratory system plays a critical role in these adaptive and maladaptive responses, patients with underlying lung disease may be at increased risk for complications in this environment and warrant careful evaluation before any planned sojourn to higher altitudes. In this review, we describe respiratory disorders that occur with both acute and chronic exposures to high altitudes. These disorders may occur in any individual who ascends to high altitude, regardless of his/her baseline pulmonary status. We then consider the safety of high-altitude travel in patients with various forms of underlying lung disease. The available data regarding how these patients fare in hypoxic conditions are reviewed, and recommendations are provided for management prior to and during the planned sojourn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua O Stream
- University of Utah, Department of Anesthesiology, 30 North 1900 East, Room 3C444, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
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12
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13
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Hoshikawa M, Uchida S, Sugo T, Kumai Y, Hanai Y, Kawahara T. Sleep quality in athletes under normobaric hypoxia equivalent to 1500 m altitude: A polysomnographic study. Eur J Sport Sci 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/17461390903470020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Johnson PL, Edwards N, Burgess KR, Sullivan CE. Sleep architecture changes during a trek from 1400 to 5000 m in the Nepal Himalaya. J Sleep Res 2009; 19:148-56. [PMID: 19663929 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2869.2009.00745.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine sleep architecture at high altitude and its relationship to periodic breathing during incremental increases in altitude. Nineteen normal, sea level-dwelling volunteers were studied at sea level and five altitudes in the Nepal Himalaya. Morning arterial blood gases and overnight polysomnography were performed in 14 subjects at altitudes: 0, 1400, 3500, 3900, 4200 and 5000 m above sea level. Subjects became progressively more hypoxic, hypocapnic and alkalinic with increasing altitude. As expected, sleep architecture was affected by increasing altitude. While time spent in Stage 1 non-rapid eye movement sleep increased at 3500 m and higher (P < 0.001), time spent in slow-wave sleep (SWS) decreased as altitude increased. Time spent in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was well preserved. In subjects who developed periodic breathing during sleep at one or more altitudes (16 of 19), arousals because of periodic breathing predominated, contributing to an increase in the total arousal index. However, there were no differences in sleep architecture or sleeping oxyhaemoglobin saturation between subjects who developed periodic breathing and those who did not. As altitude increased, sleep architecture became progressively more disturbed, with Stage 1 and SWS being affected from 3500 m, while REM sleep was well preserved. Periodic breathing was commonplace at all altitudes, and while associated with increases in arousal indices, did not have any apparent effect on sleep architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela L Johnson
- David Read Laboratory, Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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15
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Jones JE, Muza SR, Fulco CS, Beidleman BA, Tapia ML, Cymerman A. Intermittent hypoxic exposure does not improve sleep at 4300 m. High Alt Med Biol 2009; 9:281-7. [PMID: 19115911 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2008.1039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine in sea-level residents if 6 to 7 consecutive days of normobaric intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE) (hypoxia room: 2-h ambient PO2=90 mmHg sedentary and 1-h ambient PO2=110 mmHg exercising at 80+/-5% of maximum heart rate) improved sleep quality (awakenings per hour) and quantity at altitude (4300 m). We hypothesized that IHE would improve sleep arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) levels and decrease desaturation events, thereby contributing to improvements in sleep quality and quantity during subsequent exposure to high altitude. Ten sea-level residents (mean+/-SE: 22+/-1 yr, 179+/-2 cm, 79+/-3 kg) were assigned to an IHE group and six to a SHAM group (20+/-0.5 yr, 180+/-3 cm, 77+/-4 kg). Sleep quantity, SaO2, and heart rate (HR) were monitored at sea level and during high altitude (i.e., 4300 m in a hypobaric chamber) before pretest (PRE-T) and 60 h after posttest (POST-T) for the last IHE or SHAM treatment. Over the 6 to 7 days of IHE, resting SaO2 increased from 75+/-1% to 81+/-3% in the IHE group, while the SHAM group remained at 98+/-1%. From PRE-T to POST-T at 4300-m exposure, both the IHE and SHAM groups had significantly higher sleep SaO2, fewer desaturation events per hour, and an increase in the percentage of time asleep while sleeping (sleep percent). The IHE group, but not the SHAM group, had significantly lower sleep HR and a trend to more awakenings during the POST-T 4300-m exposure. These results indicate that although IHE treatment induced significant ventilatory acclimatization, relative to the SHAM group, IHE did not further improve sleep SaO2 quality and quantity following rapid ascent to 4300 m. Rather, it is likely that the acquired ventilatory acclimatization was lost in the 60 h between the last IHE session and the POST-T altitude exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juli E Jones
- Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, Massachusetts 01760, USA
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Bell HJ, Ferguson C, Kehoe V, Haouzi P. Hypocapnia increases the prevalence of hypoxia-induced augmented breaths. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2008; 296:R334-44. [PMID: 19091914 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.90680.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Augmented breaths promote respiratory instability and have been implicated in triggering periods of sleep-disordered breathing. Since respiratory instability is well known to be exacerbated by hypocapnia, we asked whether one of the destabilizing effects of hypocapnia might be related to an increased prevalence of augmented breaths. With this question in mind, we first sought to determine whether hypoxia-induced augmented breaths are more prevalent when hypocapnia is also present. To do this, we studied the breath-by-breath ventilatory responses of a group of freely behaving adult rats in a variety of different respiratory background conditions. We found that the prevalence of augmented breaths was dramatically increased during hypocapnic-hypoxia compared with room air conditions. When hypocapnia was prevented during exposure to hypoxia by adding 5% CO2 to the inspired air, the rate of occurrence of augmented breaths was no greater than that observed in room air. The addition of CO2 alone to room air had no effect on the prevalence of augmented breaths. We conclude that in spontaneously breathing rats, hypoxia promotes the generation of augmented breaths, but only in poikilocapnic conditions, where hypocapnia develops. Our results, therefore, reveal a means by which CO2 exerts a stabilizing influence on breathing, which may be of particular relevance during sleep in conditions commonly associated with respiratory instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold J Bell
- Penn State University College of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 Univ. Dr., P.O. Box 850, Mail Code H047, Hershey, PA 17033-0850, USA.
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Beaumont M, Batéjat D, Piérard C, Van Beers P, Philippe M, Léger D, Savourey G, Jouanin JC. Zaleplon and zolpidem objectively alleviate sleep disturbances in mountaineers at a 3,613 meter altitude. Sleep 2008; 30:1527-33. [PMID: 18041485 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/30.11.1527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of zolpidem and zaleplon on nocturnal sleep and breathing patterns at altitude, as well as on daytime attention, fatigue, and sleepiness. DESIGN Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. SETTING 3 day and night alpine expedition at 3,613 m altitude. PARTICIPANTS 12 healthy male trekkers. PROCEDURE One week spent at 1,000 m altitude (baseline control), followed by 3 periods of 3 consecutive treatment nights (N1-3) at altitude, to test 10 mg zolpidem, 10 mg zaleplon, and placebo given at 21:45. MEASURES Sleep from EEG, actigraphy and sleep logs; overnight arterial saturation in oxygen (SpO2) from infrared oximetry; daytime attention, fatigue and sleepiness from a Digit Symbol Substitution Test, questionnaires, and sleep logs; acute mountain sickness (AMS) from the Lake Louise questionnaire. RESULTS Compared to baseline control, sleep at altitude was significantly impaired in placebo subjects as shown by an increase in the amount of Wakefulness After Sleep Onset (WASO) from 17 +/- 8 to 36 +/- 13 min (P<0.05) and in arousals from 5 +/- 3 to 20 +/- 8 (P<0.01). Slow wave sleep (SWS) and stage 4 respectively decreased from 26.7% +/- 5.8% to 20.6% +/- 5.8% of total sleep time (TST) and from 18.2% +/- 5.2% to 12.4% +/- 3.1% TST (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). Subjects also complained from a feeling of poor sleep quality combined with numerous 02 desaturation episodes. Subjective fatigue and AMS score were increased. Compared to placebo control, WASO decreased by approximately 6 min (P<0.05) and the sleep efficiency index increased by 2% (P<0.01) under zaleplon and zolpidem, while SWS and stage 4 respectively increased to 22.5% +/- 5.4% TST (P<0.05) and to 15.0% +/- 3.4% TST (P<0.0001) with zolpidem only; both drugs further improved sleep quality. No adverse effect on nighttime SpO2, daytime attention level, alertness, or mood was observed under either hypnotic. AMS was also found to be reduced under both medications. CONCLUSIONS Both zolpidem and zaleplon have positive effects on sleep at altitude without adversely affecting respiration, attention, alertness, or mood. Hence, they may be safely used by climbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurice Beaumont
- Institut de Médecine Aérospatiale du Service de Santé des Armées, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France.
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A Negative Interaction Between Central and Peripheral Respiratory Chemoreceptors May Underlie Sleep-Induced Respiratory Instability: A Novel Hypothesis. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-73693-8_78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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Hoshikawa M, Uchida S, Sugo T, Kumai Y, Hanai Y, Kawahara T. Changes in sleep quality of athletes under normobaric hypoxia equivalent to 2,000-m altitude: a polysomnographic study. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2007; 103:2005-11. [PMID: 17690200 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00315.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study evaluated the sleep quality of athletes in normobaric hypoxia at a simulated altitude of 2,000 m. Eight male athletes slept in normoxic condition (NC) and hypoxic conditions equivalent to those at 2,000-m altitude (HC). Polysomnographic recordings of sleep included the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrooculogram, chin surface electromyogram, and electrocardiogram. Thoracic and abdominal motion, nasal and oral airflow, and arterial blood oxygen saturation (SaO2) were also recorded. Standard visual sleep stage scoring and fast Fourier transformation analyses of the EEG were performed on 30-s epochs. Subjective sleepiness and urinary catecholamines were also monitored. Mean SaO2 decreased and respiratory disturbances increased with HC. The increase in respiratory disturbances was significant, but the increase was small and subclinical. The duration of slow-wave sleep (stage 3 and 4) and total delta power (<3 Hz) of the all-night non-rapid eye movement sleep EEG decreased for HC compared with NC. Subjective sleepiness and amounts of urinary catecholamines did not differ between the conditions. These results indicate that acute exposure to normobaric hypoxia equivalent to that at 2,000-m altitude decreased slow-wave sleep in athletes, but it did not change subjective sleepiness or amounts of urinary catecholamines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masako Hoshikawa
- Department of Sports Science, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
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Brugniaux JV, Hodges ANH, Hanly PJ, Poulin MJ. Cerebrovascular responses to altitude. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2007; 158:212-23. [PMID: 17544954 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2007.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2007] [Revised: 04/17/2007] [Accepted: 04/19/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) is a complex process that is altered significantly with altitude exposure. Acute exposure produces a marked increase in CBF, in proportion to the severity of the hypoxia and mitigated by hyperventilation-induced hypocapnia when CO(2) is uncontrolled. A number of mediators contribute to the hypoxia-induced cerebral vasodilation, including adenosine, potassium channels, substance P, prostaglandins, and NO. Upon acclimatization to altitude, CBF returns towards normal sea-level values in subsequent days and weeks, mediated by a progressive increase in PO2, first through hyperventilation followed by erythropoiesis. With long-term altitude exposure, a number of mechanisms play a role in regulating CBF, including acid-base balance, hematological modifications, and angiogenesis. Finally, several cerebrovascular disorders are associated with altitude exposure. Existing gaps in our knowledge of CBF and altitude, and areas of future investigation include effects of longer exposures, intermittent hypoxia, and gender differences in the CBF responses to altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien V Brugniaux
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
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21
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Snyder EM, Stepanek J, Bishop SL, Johnson BD. Ventilatory Responses to Hypoxia and High Altitude During Sleep in Aconcagua Climbers. Wilderness Environ Med 2007; 18:138-45. [PMID: 17590060 DOI: 10.1580/06-weme-br-041r.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE We examined the changes in ventilation during sleep at high altitude using the LifeShirt monitoring system on 2 climbers who were attempting to summit Mount Aconcagua (6956 m). METHODS Prior to the summit attempt, we measured cardiovascular and pulmonary function at 401 m (Rochester, MN) and gathered respiratory and cardiovascular data during sleep using the LifeShirt monitoring system with exposure to normobaric normoxia and normobaric hypoxia (simulated 4300 m). We then monitored the ventilatory response during sleep at 3 altitudes (4100 m, 4900 m, and 5900 m). RESULTS During normoxic sleep, subjects had normal oxygen saturation (O(2sat)), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (V(T)) and minute ventilation (V(E)), and exhibited no periodic breathing (O(2sat) = 100 +/- 2%, HR = 67 +/- 1 beats/min, RR = 16 +/- 3 breaths/min, V(T) = 516 +/- 49 mL, and V(E) = 9 +/- 1 L/min, mean +/- SD). Sleep during simulated 4300 m caused a reduction in O(2sat), an increase in HR, RR, V(T), and V(E), and induced periodic breathing in both climbers (O(2sat) = 79 +/- 4%, HR = 72 +/- 14 beats/min, RR = 20 +/- 3 breaths/min, V(T) = 701 +/- 180 mL, and V(E) = 14 +/- 3 L/min). All 3 levels of altitude had profound effects on O(2sat), HR, and the ventilatory strategy during sleep (O(2sat) = 79 +/- 2, 70 +/- 8, 60 +/- 2%; HR = 70 +/- 12, 76 +/- 6, 80 +/- 3 beats/min; RR = 17 +/- 6, 18 +/- 4, 20 +/- 6 breaths/min; V(T) = 763 +/- 300, 771 +/- 152, 1145 +/- 123 mL; and V(E) = 13 +/- 1, 14 +/- 0, 22 +/- 4 L/min; for 4100 m, 4900 m, and 5900 m, respectively). There were strong negative correlations between O(2sat) and V(E) and ventilatory drive (V(T)/T(i), where T(i) is the inspiratory time) throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS Interestingly, the changes in ventilatory response during simulated altitude and at comparable altitude on Aconcagua during the summit attempt were similar, suggesting reductions in FiO(2), rather than in pressure, alter this response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Snyder
- Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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León-Velarde F, Richalet JP. Respiratory control in residents at high altitude: physiology and pathophysiology. High Alt Med Biol 2006; 7:125-37. [PMID: 16764526 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2006.7.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Highland population (HA) from the Andes, living above 3000 m, have a blunted ventilatory response to increasing hypoxia, breathe less compared to acclimatized newcomers, but more, compared to sea-level natives at sea level. Subjects with chronic mountain sickness (CMS) breathe like sea-level natives and have excessive erythrocytosis (EE). The respiratory stimulation that arises through the peripheral chemoreflex is modestly less in the CMS group when compared with the HA group at the same P(ET(O2)). With regard to CO(2) sensitivity, CMS subjects seem to have reset their central CO(2) chemoreceptors to operate around the sea-level resting P(ET(CO2)). Acetazolamide, an acidifying drug that increases the chemosensitivity of regions in the brain stem that contain CO(2)/H(+) sensitive neurons, partially reverses this phenomenon, thus, providing CMS subjects with the possibility to have high CO(2) changes, despite small changes in ventilation. However, the same type of adjustments of the breathing pattern established for Andeans has not been found necessarily in Asian humans and/or domestic animals nor in the various high altitude species studied. The differing time frames of exposure to hypoxia among the populations, as well as the reversibility of the different components of the respiratory process at sea level, provide key concepts concerning the importance of time at high altitude in the evolution of an appropriate breathing pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola León-Velarde
- Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencius Filosafia, Laboratorio de Transporte de Oxígeno, Lima, Perú.
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Leaf DE, Goldfarb DS. Mechanisms of action of acetazolamide in the prophylaxis and treatment of acute mountain sickness. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2006; 102:1313-22. [PMID: 17023566 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01572.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetazolamide, a potent carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor, is the most commonly used and best-studied agent for the amelioration of acute mountain sickness (AMS). The actual mechanisms by which acetazolamide reduces symptoms of AMS, however, remain unclear. Traditionally, acetazolamide's efficacy has been attributed to inhibition of CA in the kidneys, resulting in bicarbonaturia and metabolic acidosis. The result is offsetting hyperventilation-induced respiratory alkalosis and allowance of chemoreceptors to respond more fully to hypoxic stimuli at altitude. Studies performed on both animals and humans, however, have shown that this explanation is unsatisfactory and that the efficacy of acetazolamide in the context of AMS is likely due to a multitude of effects. This review summarizes the known systemic effects of acetazolamide and incorporates them into a model encompassing several factors that are likely to play a key role in the drug's efficacy. Such factors include not only metabolic acidosis resulting from renal CA inhibition but also improvements in ventilation from tissue respiratory acidosis, improvements in sleep quality from carotid body CA inhibition, and effects of diuresis.
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Richalet JP, Rivera M, Bouchet P, Chirinos E, Onnen I, Petitjean O, Bienvenu A, Lasne F, Moutereau S, León-Velarde F. Acetazolamide: a treatment for chronic mountain sickness. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005; 172:1427-33. [PMID: 16126936 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.200505-807oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Chronic mountain sickness or Monge's disease is characterized by an excessive polycythemia in high-altitude dwellers, with a prevalence of 5 to 18% above 3,200 m. To date, no pharmacologic treatment is available. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the efficacy of acetazolamide in the treatment of chronic mountain sickness and the importance of nocturnal hypoxemia in its pathophysiology. METHODS A double-blind placebo-controlled study was performed in three groups of patients from Cerro de Pasco, Peru (4,300 m), treated orally for 3 weeks with placebo (n = 10), 250 mg of acetazolamide (n = 10), or 500 mg of acetazolamide (n = 10), daily. RESULTS Acetazolamide decreased hematocrit by 7.1% (p < 0.001) and 6.7% (p < 0.001), serum erythropoietin by 67% (p < 0.01) and 50% (p < 0.001), and serum soluble transferrin receptors by 11.1% (p < 0.05) and 3.4% (p < 0.001), and increased serum ferritin by 540% (p < 0.001) and 134% (p < 0.001), for groups treated with 250 and 500 mg of acetazolamide, respectively. Acetazolamide (250 mg) increased nocturnal arterial O(2) saturation by 5% (p < 0.01) and decreased mean nocturnal heart rate by 11% (p < 0.05) and the number of apnea-hypopnea episodes during sleep by 74% (p < 0.05). The decrease in erythropoietin was attributed mainly to the acetazolamide-induced increase in ventilation and arterial O(2) saturation. CONCLUSIONS Acetazolamide, the first efficient pharmacologic treatment of chronic mountain sickness without adverse effects, reduces hypoventilation, which may be accentuated during sleep, and blunts erythropoiesis. Its low cost may allow wide development with a considerable positive impact on public health in high-altitude regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Richalet
- Laboratoire EA 2363, UFR SMBH, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017 Bobigny Cedex, France.
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Yaron M, Lindgren K, Halbower AC, Weissberg M, Reite M, Niermeyer S. Sleep disturbance after rapid ascent to moderate altitude among infants and preverbal young children. High Alt Med Biol 2005; 5:314-20. [PMID: 15453997 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2004.5.314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid ascent to high altitude is known to result in sleep disturbances among adults. No data exist regarding the effects of altitude exposure on sleep in children. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of rapid ascent to moderate altitude on sleep in infants and young children. In this prospective study, each child served as his or her own control. Each subject was studied over 7 days and nights. On days 1 and 2, children were studied at home (1601 m), day 3 at a hotel without ascent (travel control), day 4 at home, days 5 and 6 at a hotel after ascent (3109 m), and day 7 at home. Since increased motion is a characteristic of sleep disturbance among infants and young children, continuous measurements of motion were made using an ankle-mounted Actigraph. Thirty children, 17 girls and 13 boys, with a median age of 16.5 months (range = 4 to 33 months) participated in the study. Significant changes in the activity counts, reflecting a sleep disturbance during nocturnal sleep, were noted between the travel control night (20.9 +/- 1.9) and the first night at altitude (29.4 +/- 2.5): p < 0.01. This sleep disturbance is most significant during the first night at altitude and may be similar to sleep disturbance with altitude exposure seen in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Yaron
- University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, Colorado Emergency Medicine Research Center, Denver, CO, USA.
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Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- John V Weil
- Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratory, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East NinthAvenue, Denver 80262, USA.
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Dubowitz G. Effect of temazepam on oxygen saturation and sleep quality at high altitude: randomised placebo controlled crossover trial. BMJ (CLINICAL RESEARCH ED.) 1998; 316:587-9. [PMID: 9518909 PMCID: PMC28461 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.316.7131.587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of temazepam on the quality of sleep and on oxygen saturation during sleep in subjects at high altitude. DESIGN Randomised, blinded, crossover, placebo controlled trial. SETTING Base camp at Mount Everest (altitude 5300 m). SUBJECTS 11 members of British Mount Everest Medical Expedition recently arrived at base camp. INTERVENTION Participants were randomly allocated to receive either temazepam 10 mg or placebo on their first night at base camp and the other treatment on the second night. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Quality of sleep (assessed subjectively), mean arterial oxygen saturation value, and changes in saturation values (as measure of periodic breathing) while participants taking temazepam or placebo. RESULTS All participants noted subjective improvements in sleep. Mean saturation value remained unchanged when temazepam was compared with placebo (74.65% v 75.70%, P = 0.5437). There were fewer changes in oxygen saturation when participants took temazepam and when measured as decreases > 4% below the mean value of saturation each hour (P = 0.0036, paired Student's t test (two tailed)). CONCLUSIONS Participants taking temazepam at 5300 m showed no significant drop in mean oxygen saturation values during sleep. Both the number and severity of changes in saturation during sleep decreased and the quality of sleep improved. This may be a result of a reduction in the number of awakenings and might lead to greater respiratory stability and fewer episodes of periodic breathing. This has the effect of improving the quality of sleep and reducing the number of periods of desaturation during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Dubowitz
- British Mount Everest Medical Expedition, Hyssington, Montgomery, Powys.
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Appenzeller O, Martignoni E. The autonomic nervous system and hypoxia: mountain medicine. JOURNAL OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM 1996; 57:1-12. [PMID: 8867079 DOI: 10.1016/0165-1838(95)00093-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- O Appenzeller
- New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics Research Foundation, Albuq 87122, USA.
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Matsuzawa Y, Kobayashi T, Fujimoto K, Yamaguchi S, Shinozaki S, Kubo K, Sekiguchi M, Hayashi R, Sakai A, Ueda G. Nocturnal periodic breathing and arterial oxygen desaturation in acute mountain sickness. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1994. [DOI: 10.1580/0953-9859-5.3.269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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