title: Altitude-dependent changes of directional hearing in mountaineers.
abstract: This study demonstrates apparent deterioration in the ability to localize sound associated with acute exposure to high altitude in ten subjects on three mountaineering expeditions. Furthermore, the auditory localization errors improved to sea level values after a period of acclimatization. Occurring at altitudes where overt neurological symptoms are not usually seen, impairment of sensory perception may explain the increase in accidental deaths associated with altitude exposure due to disorientation and misjudgment but before hypoxia is evident.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pollard
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000502:physiology*; D013017:Sound Localization / Q000502:physiology*