Ataxia in acute mountain sickness does not improve with short-term oxygen inhalation.

Abstract

Stability of stance declines at high altitude in subjects with and without acute mountain sickness (AMS), suggesting that postural ataxia might result from different hypoxia-related mechanisms than those causing the signs and symptoms of AMS. The aim of this study was to determine whether short-term oxygen inhalation improves stability of stance assessed by static posturography and/or the symptoms of AMS. Twenty male volunteers with cerebral AMS scores above 0.70 were investigated the first or second morning of their stay at an altitude of 4559 m. Posturographic parameters remained unchanged, whereas cerebral AMS scores decreased (p < 0.001) after inhalation of 3 L/min of oxygen for at least 10 min. We conclude that ataxia of stance assessed by posturography may result from different hypoxia-triggered mechanisms that need more time for recovery than those causing AMS.

• Authors: Ralf W Baumgartner, Peter Bärtsch
• Journal: High altitude medicine & biology (High Alt Med Biol) Vol. 3 Issue 3 Pg. 283-7 ( 2002) ISSN: 1527-0297 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12396882 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Altitude Sickness (complications, diagnosis, therapy)
• Analysis of Variance
• Ataxia (etiology, therapy)
• Case-Control Studies
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Oxygen Inhalation Therapy (methods)
• Probability
• Prospective Studies
• Reference Values
• Treatment Outcome