Effect of High Altitude Exposure, Acclimatization and Re-exposure on Postural Control in Lowlanders

Effect of High Altitude Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effect of High Altitude Exposure, Acclimatization and Re-exposure on Postural Control in Lowlanders

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02730182
• Other study ID #: REB15-2709_V3
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: April 9, 2016
• Est. completion date: May 4, 2016

Study information

• Verified date: January 2019
• Source: University of Zurich
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Prospective interventional trial in lowlanders evaluating the effect of acute exposure, acclimatization and re-exposure to high altitude on postural control

Description:

Baseline measurements including the assessment of the center of pressure during 30s, the cerebral oxygen saturation and a sharpened Romberg test will be performed in Santiago de Chile, 520 m, over the course of 3 days. Participants will then travel by commercial airline (5 h flight) and by bus (3 h ride) to the base camp of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope station located at 2900 m near San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile. Participants will stay there for the next 8 nights and they will be spend the days (6-8 h daily) at the telescope station at 5050 m while undergoing testing as described above at the first and the last day at 5050m. Daily transports from 2900 to 5050 m will be by car (1 h ride, one way). After the first 8 day altitude sojourn participants will return to the Santiago area (520 m) for a 6 day recovery period.

A second altitude sojourn with an identical schedule as the one described above and a final low altitude stay of 3 days will follow.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 21
• Est. completion date: May 4, 2016
• Est. primary completion date: May 4, 2016
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 65 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• born, raised and currently living <800m

• No overnight stay at altitudes >1500 m 4 weeks before the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous altitude intolerance to altitude <3000 m

• Pregnancy

• Health impairment, which requires regular treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Altitude Sickness
• Effect of High Altitude

Intervention

Other:
• altitude exposure
altitude exposure

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Switzerland	University of Zurich	Zurich

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Zurich

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Switzerland, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Center of pressure path length measured by Wii-balance board	Changes in center of pressure path length during the 2 sojourns at 5050 m and compared to lowland.	Low altitude sojourn at 520 m; first sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7
Secondary	Cerebral tissue oxygen saturation measured by near infrared spectroscopy	Changes in cerebral oxygen saturation during the 2 sojourns at 5050 m and compared to lowland.	Low altitude sojourn at 520 m; first sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7
Secondary	Postural stability measured by sharpened Romberg-test and heel-to-toe walk	Changes in postural stability during the 2 sojourns at 5050 m and compared to lowland.	Low altitude sojourn at 520 m; first sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7; second sojourn at 5050 m Day 2, 7