Study examines how high altitude affects memory

Oxygen is essential for maintaining normal human brain function, and living at high altitudes can lead to deficits in cognition such as attention and memory. A new Brain and Behavior study investigated the potential mechanisms of this effect and the impact of high altitude exposure on aspects of short-term memory.

The study identified certain effects of high altitude exposure on spatial memory (the part of memory responsible for recording information about one’s environment and spatial orientation) and verbal memory (the ability to remember something and to perform an activity using this memory).

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