Effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older-RCT.
<h4>Objective</h4>Altitude travel is increasingly popular also for middle-aged and older tourists and professionals. Due to the sensitivity of the central nervous system to hypoxia, altitude exposure may impair visuomotor performance although this has not been extensively studied. Theref...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280585 |
| _version_ | 1828054011359526912 |
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| author | Aurelia E Reiser Michael Furian Mona Lichtblau Aline Buergin Simon R Schneider Paula Appenzeller Laura Mayer Lara Muralt Maamed Mademilov Ainura Abdyraeva Shoira Aidaralieva Aibermet Muratbekova Azamat Akylbekov Ulan Sheraliev Saltanat Shabykeeva Talant M Sooronbaev Silvia Ulrich Konrad E Bloch |
| author_facet | Aurelia E Reiser Michael Furian Mona Lichtblau Aline Buergin Simon R Schneider Paula Appenzeller Laura Mayer Lara Muralt Maamed Mademilov Ainura Abdyraeva Shoira Aidaralieva Aibermet Muratbekova Azamat Akylbekov Ulan Sheraliev Saltanat Shabykeeva Talant M Sooronbaev Silvia Ulrich Konrad E Bloch |
| author_sort | Aurelia E Reiser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Objective</h4>Altitude travel is increasingly popular also for middle-aged and older tourists and professionals. Due to the sensitivity of the central nervous system to hypoxia, altitude exposure may impair visuomotor performance although this has not been extensively studied. Therefore, we investigated whether a sojourn at moderately high altitude is associated with visuomotor performance impairments in healthy adults, 40y of age or older, and whether this adverse altitude-effect can be prevented by acetazolamide, a drug used to prevent acute mountain sickness.<h4>Methods</h4>In this randomized placebo-controlled parallel-design trial, 59 healthy lowlanders, aged 40-75y, were assigned to acetazolamide (375 mg/day, n = 34) or placebo (n = 25), administered one day before ascent and while staying at high altitude (3100m). Visuomotor performance was assessed at 760m and 3100m after arrival and in the next morning (post-sleep) by a computer-assisted test (Motor-Task-Manager). It quantified deviation of a participant-controlled cursor affected by rotation during target tracking. Primary outcome was the directional error during post-sleep recall of adaptation to rotation estimated by multilevel linear regression modeling. Additionally, adaptation, immediate recall, and correct test execution were evaluated.<h4>Results</h4>Compared to 760m, assessments at 3100m with placebo revealed a mean (95%CI) increase in directional error during adaptation and immediate recall by 1.9° (0.2 to 3.5, p = 0.024) and 1.1° (0.4 to 1.8, p = 0.002), respectively. Post-sleep recall remained unchanged (p = NS), however post-sleep correct test execution was 14% less likely (9 to 19, p<0.001). Acetazolamide improved directional error during post-sleep recall by 5.6° (2.6 to 8.6, p<0.001) and post-sleep probability of correct test execution by 36% (30 to 42, p<0.001) compared to placebo.<h4>Conclusion</h4>In healthy individuals, 40y of age or older, altitude exposure impaired adaptation to and immediate recall and correct execution of a visuomotor task. Preventive acetazolamide treatment improved visuomotor performance after one night at altitude and increased the probability of correct test execution compared to placebo.<h4>Clinicaltrials.gov identifier</h4>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03536520. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:16:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e1720c648f2c4771b6516ee3d44ff2b3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:16:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-e1720c648f2c4771b6516ee3d44ff2b32023-01-26T05:32:00ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01181e028058510.1371/journal.pone.0280585Effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older-RCT.Aurelia E ReiserMichael FurianMona LichtblauAline BuerginSimon R SchneiderPaula AppenzellerLaura MayerLara MuraltMaamed MademilovAinura AbdyraevaShoira AidaralievaAibermet MuratbekovaAzamat AkylbekovUlan SheralievSaltanat ShabykeevaTalant M SooronbaevSilvia UlrichKonrad E Bloch<h4>Objective</h4>Altitude travel is increasingly popular also for middle-aged and older tourists and professionals. Due to the sensitivity of the central nervous system to hypoxia, altitude exposure may impair visuomotor performance although this has not been extensively studied. Therefore, we investigated whether a sojourn at moderately high altitude is associated with visuomotor performance impairments in healthy adults, 40y of age or older, and whether this adverse altitude-effect can be prevented by acetazolamide, a drug used to prevent acute mountain sickness.<h4>Methods</h4>In this randomized placebo-controlled parallel-design trial, 59 healthy lowlanders, aged 40-75y, were assigned to acetazolamide (375 mg/day, n = 34) or placebo (n = 25), administered one day before ascent and while staying at high altitude (3100m). Visuomotor performance was assessed at 760m and 3100m after arrival and in the next morning (post-sleep) by a computer-assisted test (Motor-Task-Manager). It quantified deviation of a participant-controlled cursor affected by rotation during target tracking. Primary outcome was the directional error during post-sleep recall of adaptation to rotation estimated by multilevel linear regression modeling. Additionally, adaptation, immediate recall, and correct test execution were evaluated.<h4>Results</h4>Compared to 760m, assessments at 3100m with placebo revealed a mean (95%CI) increase in directional error during adaptation and immediate recall by 1.9° (0.2 to 3.5, p = 0.024) and 1.1° (0.4 to 1.8, p = 0.002), respectively. Post-sleep recall remained unchanged (p = NS), however post-sleep correct test execution was 14% less likely (9 to 19, p<0.001). Acetazolamide improved directional error during post-sleep recall by 5.6° (2.6 to 8.6, p<0.001) and post-sleep probability of correct test execution by 36% (30 to 42, p<0.001) compared to placebo.<h4>Conclusion</h4>In healthy individuals, 40y of age or older, altitude exposure impaired adaptation to and immediate recall and correct execution of a visuomotor task. Preventive acetazolamide treatment improved visuomotor performance after one night at altitude and increased the probability of correct test execution compared to placebo.<h4>Clinicaltrials.gov identifier</h4>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03536520.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280585 |
| spellingShingle | Aurelia E Reiser Michael Furian Mona Lichtblau Aline Buergin Simon R Schneider Paula Appenzeller Laura Mayer Lara Muralt Maamed Mademilov Ainura Abdyraeva Shoira Aidaralieva Aibermet Muratbekova Azamat Akylbekov Ulan Sheraliev Saltanat Shabykeeva Talant M Sooronbaev Silvia Ulrich Konrad E Bloch Effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older-RCT. PLoS ONE |
| title | Effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older-RCT. |
| title_full | Effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older-RCT. |
| title_fullStr | Effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older-RCT. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older-RCT. |
| title_short | Effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older-RCT. |
| title_sort | effect of acetazolamide on visuomotor performance at high altitude in healthy people 40 years of age or older rct |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280585 |
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