Rapid ascent to terrestrial high-altitude and the attendant decrease in cerebral oxygenation can induce neurovascular headache and associated debilitating symptoms known collectively as acute mountain sickness (AMS). Given its insidious nature and prevalence during commercial expeditions, early recognition of “susceptible individuals” has the potential to improve not only performance (summit success) but more importantly safety.
In a collaborative investigation with Glamorgan University and School of Medicine at Swansea University, we recently identified that even at sea-level, subtle imperfections in the brain’s ability to buffer rapid surges in arterial blood pressure (termed dynamic cerebral autoregulation) is predictive of AMS (accounting for up to 60% of the variance) during subsequent ascent to high-altitude.
The current proposal seeks to extend these preliminary findings using more sensitive techniques and by extending sample size as part of a “follow-up” medical expedition with the same group.
Our working hypothesis is:
Normal biological variation in dynamic cerebral autoregulation observed in the “healthy-brain” at sea-level will predict subsequent susceptibility to systemic de-oxygenation and AMS during rapid ascent to terrestrial high-altitude.
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