OBJECTIVE To evaluate the Sharpened Romberg Test (SRT) as a measure of ataxia in subjects with mild acute mountain sickness in order to determine its sensitivity and specificity. METHODS The SRT was performed in 23 subjects during ascent to 5260 m. RESULTS The SRT was more often abnormal than the traditional heel-to-toe test, and at the highest altitude it was related to higher median Lake ...

OBJECTIVES To compare a range of physiological responses to acute sea level hypoxia at simulated altitudes with the same physiological responses and acute mountain sickness (AMS) scores measured at altitude (similar to the simulated altitudes) during a 17 day trek in the Himalayas. METHODS Twenty men and women aged 18-54 years took part in the study. End tidal CO(2) tension (PETCO(2)) and sat...

1269 Reproducibility of individual response to exposure to high altitude The response of people who live at sea level to the low oxygen concentrations at high altitude varies widely. Some people are relatively unaffected while others suffer severe acute mountain sickness.' Anecdotal reports and experiments in decompression chambers have indicated that responses to high altitude are reproducible...

Methods for measuring the ventilatory response to hypoxia (HVR) are reviewed. The criteria for success as a high altitude mountaineer are defined as freedom from acute mountain sickness (AMS) and ability to perform well at extreme altitude. The evidence for a brisk HVR being protective against AMS and associated with successful high altitude performance is reviewed. The contrary evidence of blu...

BACKGROUND Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is commonly found among people traveling above 2500 m. We investigated whether the occurrence of AMS is related to differences in individual physical fitness and BMI in subjects 11-13 years of age. METHODS This study was conducted at Xue Mountain, Taiwan (elevation of 3886 m) between June 13, 2011 and June 17, 2011. Subjects were asked to ascend from T...

BACKGROUND In young Chinese men of the highland immigrant population, chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a major public health problem. The aim of this study was to measure the disease burden of CMS in this population. METHODS We used disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to estimate the disease burden of CMS. Disability weights were derived using the person trade-off methodology. CMS diagno...

China has the largest plateau, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where inhabited the most high altitude populations. Moreover, millions of people from plain areas come to the plateau for travel and work purposes and the number of the newcomers has been increasing every year. The hypoxic environment of plateau raised a series of related health issues in the new immigrants, so have created a special medical...

The ventilatory responses to CO(2) of high-altitude (HA) natives and patients with chronic mountain sickness (CMS) were studied and compared with sea-level (SL) natives living at SL. A multifrequency binary sequence (MFBS) in end-tidal Pco(2) was employed to separate the fast (peripheral) and slow (central) components of the chemoreflex response. MFBS was imposed against a background of both eu...

Although we are far from a universally accepted pattern of impaired function at altitude, there is evidence indicating motor, perceptual, memory and behavioural deficits in adults. Even relatively low altitudes (2500 m) may delay reaction time, and impair motor function. Extreme altitude exposure (>5000 m) may result in more pronounced impairment that can persist after returning to the lowlands...