Cerebral blood flow velocity changes at high altitude

Background: Insufficient cerebrovascular adaptation to high altitude may play a major role in the development of high altitude cerebral edema. Therefore, we conducted a prospective study to further investigate physiological alterations in cerebral blood flow and brain oxygenation in healthy volunteers exposed to high altitude. Methods: Thirty-two hobby mountaineers (12 females, mean age 43.5±12.6 years; range 19–66 years) were examined at 3400 and 5050m altitude during a joint 22-day-long high altitude trekking tour in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal. We measured cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) in the anteri…