Influence of acute physical exercise and moderate in condition of hypoxia on cognitive function and sleep patterns

• Grant number: 10/17192-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2011
• End date: February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Cognitive Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Marco Túlio de Mello
• Grantee: Marco Túlio de Mello
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Ronaldo Vagner Thomatieli dos Santos

Abstract

Effects caused by hypoxia may alter several cognitive functions including memory, attention, executive functions, decision making, mood and the sleep pattern. Therefore, the objective of the present project is to evaluate the influence of acute and moderate physical exercise on cognitive performance and sleep pattern of volunteers exposed to a simulated height of 4500 meters. The rationale is that it is believed that acute physical exercise with moderate intensity may attenuate the detrimental effects on cognitive functions and sleep pattern after altitude exposition (hypoxia condition). This study was submitted to the Ethics and Research Committee of UNIFESP/Hospital Sao Paulo (CEP - 1110/08). The sample will include 60 volunteers to be randomly distributed into four groups, each with 15 individuals: Normoxia Group (NG); Normoxia and Exercise Group (NEG); Hypoxia Group (HG) and Hypoxia and Exercise Group (HEG). The battery of neuropsychological tests will include memory, executive functions, decision making, intellectual potential, attention and mood evaluations. Sleep pattern will be evaluated through polysomnography (PSG). Moderate physical exercise will be conducted with a treadmill allocated inside an environmental chamber simulating altitude and using rectangular load with fixed speed, equivalent to the intensity of the first ventilatory threshold (VTI) and for 60 minutes. The experimental protocol will last two days and three consecutive nights. (AU)