COGNITIVE FUNCTION AT HIGH-ALTITUDE

The effects of altitude on human performance and cognition were evalua ted in a field study performed on Mount Denali in Alaska during the su mmer of 1990. Climbers performed a series of perceptual, cognitive, an d sensory-motor tasks before, during, and after climbing the West Butt ress route on Denali. Relative to a matched control group that perform ed the tasks at sea level, the climbers showed deficits of learning an d retention in perceptual and memory tasks. Furthermore, climbers perf ormed more slowly on most tasks than did the control group, suggesting long-term deficits that may be attributed to repeated forays to high altitudes.