title: Cognitive Changes during Prolonged Stay at High Altitude and Its Correlation with C-Reactive Protein.
abstract: Hypersensitive C-reaction protein (hsCRP) may be a risk factor for cognitive impairment resulting from Alzheimer's disease (AD), stroke, and vascular dementia. This study explored the correlation of peripheral blood hsCRP level with cognitive decline due to high altitude exposure. The study was conducted on 100 male military participants who had never been to high altitude. Cerebral oxygen saturation monitoring, event related potentials (P300, N200) detection, and neurocognitive assessment was performed and total hsCRP, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and homocysteine was estimated at 500 m altitude, 3650 m altitude, 3 day, 1, and 3 month post arriving at the base camp (4400 m), and 1 month after coming back to the 500 m altitude. High altitude increased brain oxygen saturation, prolonged P300 and N200 latencies, injured cognitive functions, and raised plasma hsCRP levels. But they all recovered in varying degrees at 1 and 3 month post arriving at the base camp (4400 m). P300 latencies and hsCRP levels were strongly correlated to cognitive performances. These results suggested that cognitive deterioration occurred during the acute period of exposure to high altitude and may recover probably owning to acclimatization after extended stay at high altitude. Plasma hsCRP is inversely correlated to neurological cognition and it may be a potential biomarker for the prediction of high altitude induced cognitive dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chong-Qing, 400038, China.
authors.forename: Sheng Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiration, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chong-Qing, 400038, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chong-Qing, 400038, China.
authors.forename: Zhi Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chong-Qing, 400038, China.
authors.forename: Heng Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chong-Qing, 400038, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein