Going to high altitude with anxiety and depressive symptoms
Going to Altitude With Anxious-depressive Symptoms - a Randomised Cross Over Trial in Individuals With Mental Disorders and Healthy Controls
This trial will test whether a short, controlled exposure to low oxygen like that at high altitude makes people with anxiety and depressive symptoms feel more anxious or negative and changes certain blood chemical markers.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 68 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Universitaet Innsbruck Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Innsbruck, Tyrol) |
| Trial ID | NCT05323864 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Adults with light-to-moderate anxious-depressive symptoms will be brought to a controlled hypoxic environment at the University of Innsbruck to simulate high-altitude exposure for several hours. Psychological measures (negative affect and state anxiety) and blood levels of neurotransmitter precursor amino acids (PHE/TYR and KYN/TRP) will be collected before and after exposure. Investigators hypothesize a shift toward more negative affect and higher state anxiety together with changes in the specified amino-acid ratios under hypoxia. Results are intended to inform clinical guidance for people with mental illnesses planning high-altitude sojourns.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are German-speaking adults with light-to-moderate anxious-depressive symptoms, without psychotic or cognitive disorders, not pregnant or breastfeeding, living below 1000 m, and with no recent high-altitude exposure.
Not a fit: People with psychotic or cognitive disorders, severe psychiatric illness, current pregnancy or breastfeeding, permanent residence above 1000 m, or recent stays above 2500 m are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help create practical guidance to reduce risk for people with anxious-depressive symptoms who plan high-altitude trips.
How similar studies have performed: There are limited prior data specifically on hypoxia effects in people with mental illness, so this approach is relatively novel though physiological hypoxia studies exist in other populations.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * sufficient command of the German language * no psychotic or cognitive disorders * patients suffering from anxious-depressive symptoms (meeting the cut off points of light-medium in the screening for anxiety and depression symptoms) Exclusion Criteria: * pregnant or breastfeeding * permanent residence above 1000m * overnight stays at altitudes above 2500m in the previous month * exposure to 2500m or higher two weeks prior to the six-hour hypoxic exposure
Where this trial is running
Innsbruck, Tyrol
- University of Innsbruck, Department of Sport Science — Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria (Recruiting)
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.