Monitoring of the Cerebral Tissue Oxygenation and Perfusion in the Adapting Climber During Sleep in High Altitude

NCT ID: NCT01465971

Last Updated: 2012-04-06

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 6 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2011-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2011-12-31

Brief Summary

One of the major challenges in adapting to high altitudes is that with increasing altitude sleeping quality declines rapidly. Thus, the night sleep can only provide limited to none regeneration. It usually takes a prolonged stay at a constant altitude to adapt sufficiently to the altitude and to have a refreshing night sleep. 1975 Reit et. al showed in their EEG-recordings that the sleep architecture (the regular succession of the particular sleep phases) is disturbed by repeating arousals which occur due to an irregularity in the breathing rhythm.

The purpose of this study is to create a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that lead to failed acclimatization and AMS, due to sleep disturbance.

Detailed Description

Under sea level conditions humans breath between 10 and 12 times per minute. The breathing cycle in high altitude is accelerated. If the conscious breathing control vanishes during sleep a periodic breathing with alternating episodes of hyperventilation and apnea is the result. This circumstance causes repetitive arousals that do not allow a normal sleep pattern. The associated adverse effects are fatigue, slow or failed acclimatization, weakening of the immune system, lack of motivation and the disability to make rational decisions.

Sleep deprivation is a common reason for the abortion of a trip, accidents and severe forms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

Conditions

Environmental Sleep Disorder; Cheyne-Stokes Respiration; Altitude Sickness

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

not acclimatized

no stay in an altitude above 2500 m within the last 3 Months

No interventions assigned to this group

acclimatized

stay above 2500 m with the last 14 days

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age: 18 - 80 years
• voluntary participation in an expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro

Exclusion Criteria

• obstructive or restrictive respiratory disorder
• hemodynamic relevant cardiac defect
• sleep disorder

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Goethe University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Peter Stein

Consultant of the Department for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy of the Goethe-University Frankfurt / Germany - Head of the working group for expedition medicine

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Peter Stein, Dr.med.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Goethe University

Locations

Clinic for Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy

Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany

Countries

Germany

References

Jackson SJ, Varley J, Sellers C, Josephs K, Codrington L, Duke G, Njelekela MA, Drummond G, Sutherland AI, Thompson AA, Baillie JK. Incidence and predictors of acute mountain sickness among trekkers on Mount Kilimanjaro. High Alt Med Biol. 2010 Fall;11(3):217-22. doi: 10.1089/ham.2010.1003.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 20919888 (View on PubMed)

Szymczak RK, Sitek EJ, Slawek JW, Basinski A, Sieminski M, Wieczorek D. Subjective sleep quality alterations at high altitude. Wilderness Environ Med. 2009 Winter;20(4):305-10. doi: 10.1580/1080-6032-020.004.0305.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 20030436 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

http://www.expeditionsmedizin.de

Working Group for Expeditionmedicine of the Goethe - University Frankfurt/Germany

Other Identifiers

ExpedMed#1-2011

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id