Effects of Mild Hypobaric Hypoxia on Sleep and Post-sleep Performance

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

Status: Completed

Conditions: Environmental Sleep Disorder; Altitude; Hypoxia

Treatments: Procedure: altitude exposure in hypobaric chamber

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT00498563

IRB#2006024

Details and patient eligibility

About

Hypobaric hypoxia (decreased oxygen supply to body tissues due to low atmospheric pressure) caused by exposure to high altitude disrupts sleep. Sleep deprivation is associated with degraded post-sleep performance of neurobehavioral tasks. The lowest altitude at which sleep and/or post-sleep performance are affected is not known. The study hypothesis is that sleep and/or post-sleep performance of neurobehavioral tasks will occur due to hypobaric hypoxia at altitudes of 8,000 or less.

Enrollment: 34 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 30 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• healthy
• age 30 to 60 years

Exclusion criteria

• sleep disorders or abnormal sleep patterns
• mood or psychiatric disorders including claustrophobia
• altitude exposure above 5,000 ft in the previous 2 months
• born or raised at terrestrial altitude 5,000 ft or greater
• conditions that would disqualify for FAA Medical Certificate
• acute medical conditions

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind