High Altitudes Potentially Affect Emotion Processing by Brain
Living at high altitudes, such as Tibet, can have a profound impact on our emotional wellbeing, according to a groundbreaking study. The research, conducted on students who had moved to high altitude for university, offers valuable insights that could inform prevention and treatment strategies for depression and other mood disorders in high-altitude residents.
The study found that chronic low oxygen levels, or hypoxia, at high altitude can disrupt neural circuits, particularly those involved in mood regulation and cognitive function. This disruption leads to impairments in learning, memory, and emotional regulation, contributing to mood disorders like depression and anxiety.
One key finding was the weaker P1 brainwave component in the high-altitude group. This wave is crucial for facial recognition and emotional processing. The high-altitude group took longer to recognize emotional expressions, and they showed a dramatically reduced "positive bias" in their neural response to happy faces. The normal right-sided brain pattern for face processing also disappeared in the high-altitude group.
The high-altitude environment can cause sleep disorders, which exacerbate mood symptoms and cognitive impairments. It also promotes neural network dysfunction, as shown by altered neural oscillations and connectivity. This dysfunction may be responsible for the heightened fear and anxiety responses often associated with high-altitude environments.
The main message of the research is one of awareness: The environment in which you live may be subtly shaping your emotional experience in ways you don't consciously perceive. The neuroimaging findings could potentially shed light on other conditions involving reduced oxygen to the brain, such as sleep apnea, COPD, and cardiovascular conditions.
The study suggests that even with perfect social support and year-round sunshine, the biological effects of reduced oxygen might still impact emotional processing at a fundamental level. Short periods of oxygen supplementation might help counteract chronic mild hypoxia in high-altitude residents. Exercises specifically targeting positive emotional recognition might also help counteract the reduced positive bias in high-altitude residents.
People living at high elevations face up to three times higher rates of depression and suicide compared to those at sea level. The study provides a compelling biological explanation for this increase. High-altitude residents should be monitored more closely for early signs of mood disorders.
On a positive note, "altitude vacations" could potentially provide temporary relief for high-altitude residents experiencing symptoms of depression. The new research reveals that chronic mild oxygen deprivation produces specific changes in how the brain processes emotional information. By understanding these changes, we can work towards developing targeted strategies to support the emotional wellbeing of high-altitude residents.
The study's findings reveal that high-altitude environments can impact mental health by disrupting neural circuits responsible for mood regulation and cognitive function due to chronic low oxygen levels. The high-altitude group, in the research, showed reduced positive bias in their neural response to happy faces, and the normal right-sided brain pattern for face processing disappeared, which could potentially be linked to conditions like sleep apnea, COPD, and cardiovascular conditions that involve reduced oxygen to the brain.
