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Neurophysiological evidence for cognitive and brain functional adaptation in adolescents living at high altitude

Neurophysiological evidence for cognitive and brain functional adaptation in adolescents living at high altitude
Neurophysiological evidence for cognitive and brain functional adaptation in adolescents living at high altitude
OBJECTIVE: Neurophysiological methods were used to study the effects of high altitude living on brain functions in a subgroup of participants of the Bolivian Children Living at Altitude (BoCLA) project. METHODS: Electroencephalogram (EEG), event-related potentials (ERP) and cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) were recorded in two groups of adolescents (aged 13-16years), living either at sea-level or high altitude (?3700m). RESULTS: Neuropsychological testing revealed no deficits in the high altitude group, despite significantly reduced blood oxygen saturation. In agreement, ERPs elicited by oddball target detection and choice reaction time tasks were not different between groups. In contrast, resting state EEG showed reductions in delta and beta frequency amplitudes in adolescents living at high altitude. The EEG attenuations were correlated with lower CBFV, and the EEG group differences diminished during task performance. CONCLUSIONS: No indication was found for negative sequelae of chronic hypoxia in adolescents born and living at an altitude of ?3700m, rather evidence for successful neurophysiological adaptation was found under such conditions. SIGNIFICANCE: Dynamic regulation of metabolic demand is one adaptive mechanism that preserves cognitive development at high altitude.
altitude, eeg, erp, adolescence, cognition
1726-1734
Richardson, Cassandra
ed0c3fb8-5a63-4af6-8bb9-907bebc33378
Hogan, Alexandra M.
95ce4e2d-0f63-4ada-b43f-8f3a0c3b4a21
Bucks, Romola S.
95c31da3-2a01-45e7-a648-76d84a49edc4
Baya, Ana
63ba003f-da24-4977-8a6c-e891c8ed47b3
Virues-Ortega, Javier
a793c487-ea95-40fa-887a-2f45a27c7694
Holloway, John W.
4bbd77e6-c095-445d-a36b-a50a72f6fe1a
Rose-Zerilli, Matthew
08b3afa4-dbc2-4c0d-a852-2a9f33431199
Palmer, Lyle J.
089fb1c1-12e1-4ece-9bfa-7b404cee4772
Webster, Rebecca J.
9157996d-f261-492b-9864-025cecaf5fc2
Kirkham, Fenella J.
1dfbc0d5-aebe-4439-9fb2-dac6503bcd58
Baldeweg, Torsten
e6ba710f-1634-48fe-84b9-84141cc2ad54
Richardson, Cassandra
ed0c3fb8-5a63-4af6-8bb9-907bebc33378
Hogan, Alexandra M.
95ce4e2d-0f63-4ada-b43f-8f3a0c3b4a21
Bucks, Romola S.
95c31da3-2a01-45e7-a648-76d84a49edc4
Baya, Ana
63ba003f-da24-4977-8a6c-e891c8ed47b3
Virues-Ortega, Javier
a793c487-ea95-40fa-887a-2f45a27c7694
Holloway, John W.
4bbd77e6-c095-445d-a36b-a50a72f6fe1a
Rose-Zerilli, Matthew
08b3afa4-dbc2-4c0d-a852-2a9f33431199
Palmer, Lyle J.
089fb1c1-12e1-4ece-9bfa-7b404cee4772
Webster, Rebecca J.
9157996d-f261-492b-9864-025cecaf5fc2
Kirkham, Fenella J.
1dfbc0d5-aebe-4439-9fb2-dac6503bcd58
Baldeweg, Torsten
e6ba710f-1634-48fe-84b9-84141cc2ad54

Richardson, Cassandra, Hogan, Alexandra M., Bucks, Romola S., Baya, Ana, Virues-Ortega, Javier, Holloway, John W., Rose-Zerilli, Matthew, Palmer, Lyle J., Webster, Rebecca J., Kirkham, Fenella J. and Baldeweg, Torsten (2011) Neurophysiological evidence for cognitive and brain functional adaptation in adolescents living at high altitude. Clinical Neurophysiology, 122 (9), 1726-1734. (doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2011.02.001). (PMID:21377415)

Record type: Article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Neurophysiological methods were used to study the effects of high altitude living on brain functions in a subgroup of participants of the Bolivian Children Living at Altitude (BoCLA) project. METHODS: Electroencephalogram (EEG), event-related potentials (ERP) and cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) were recorded in two groups of adolescents (aged 13-16years), living either at sea-level or high altitude (?3700m). RESULTS: Neuropsychological testing revealed no deficits in the high altitude group, despite significantly reduced blood oxygen saturation. In agreement, ERPs elicited by oddball target detection and choice reaction time tasks were not different between groups. In contrast, resting state EEG showed reductions in delta and beta frequency amplitudes in adolescents living at high altitude. The EEG attenuations were correlated with lower CBFV, and the EEG group differences diminished during task performance. CONCLUSIONS: No indication was found for negative sequelae of chronic hypoxia in adolescents born and living at an altitude of ?3700m, rather evidence for successful neurophysiological adaptation was found under such conditions. SIGNIFICANCE: Dynamic regulation of metabolic demand is one adaptive mechanism that preserves cognitive development at high altitude.

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More information

Published date: September 2011
Keywords: altitude, eeg, erp, adolescence, cognition

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Local EPrints ID: 177941
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/177941
PURE UUID: 3f46a84d-4f25-4c60-9430-30cbb0f0072a
ORCID for John W. Holloway: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9998-0464
ORCID for Matthew Rose-Zerilli: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1064-5350
ORCID for Fenella J. Kirkham: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2443-7958

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Date deposited: 22 Mar 2011 15:35
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:56

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Contributors

Author: Cassandra Richardson
Author: Alexandra M. Hogan
Author: Romola S. Bucks
Author: Ana Baya
Author: Javier Virues-Ortega
Author: Lyle J. Palmer
Author: Rebecca J. Webster
Author: Torsten Baldeweg

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