Study on Effects of Simulated High Altitude in Adults with Anxiety or Depression Compared to Healthy Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying the effects of high altitude-like low oxygen conditions on people with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. This trial aims to understand how changes in oxygen levels affect mood, anxiety, and certain brain-related chemicals. The study compares these responses in individuals with anxious-depressive symptoms and healthy people, using a controlled environment to simulate an altitude of 3800 meters. Participants will experience two six-hour sessions inside a chamber that mimics high altitude oxygen levels or normal air sham hypoxia. Each person will undergo both conditions in random order with at least 14 days between visits. During the sessions, participants can move freely inside the chamber, which is located at the University of Innsbrucks Department of Sport Science. Throughout the study, mood and anxiety will be measured multiple times before, during, and after exposure using various questionnaires. Blood samples and physiological measures like oxygen levels and oxidative stress will be taken before, midway, and at the end of each session, with follow-up assessments one and seven days later. The main outcomes include changes in mood, anxiety, and stress during six-hour exposures, while secondary outcomes look at symptoms and inflammation over ten days.

Going to Altitude With Anxious-depressive Symptoms