Method Article

Psychological and Sleep Changes in Pre-Selected Members of the Polar Inland Expedition Team During Rapid Ascent High-Altitude Training

DOI:

10.3791/68599

March 6th, 2026

In This Article

Summary

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This study reveals that preliminary and backup Antarctic inland expedition team members demonstrated significantly elevated anxiety levels, prefrontal neuroplastic compensation (left anterior prefrontal cortex activation), and sleep fragmentation (Wake After Sleep Onset WASO) under high-altitude conditions. These findings provide an empirical basis for developing adaptive training protocols for extreme environments.

Abstract

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This study established and implemented a multidimensional assessment protocol to systematically investigate neurobehavioral changes among 30 preliminary and backup members of the Antarctic inland expedition team undergoing rapid altitude training. The protocol integrates psychometric scales (BFI-44, DASS-21, PSQI), behavioral paradigms (N-back task), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and wrist actigraphy to assess neurobehavioral adaptations across varying altitudes (0 m above sea level (a.s.l) / 3,700 m a.s.l / 4,300 m a.s.l) over an 8-day cycle. The core design comprises pre-ascent baseline testing; synchronized cognitive-fNIRS measurements at target altitudes; 24/8 sleep monitoring (including 8 h nocturnal actigraphy). This multimodal framework enables quantitative characterization of prefrontal compensatory activation, sleep fragmentation dynamics, and altitude-induced anxiety fluctuations. Findings reveal that, compared to Chinese normative data, participants exhibited significantly elevated agreeableness (t=3.940, P<0.001) and conscientiousness (t=9.736, P<0.001), alongside reduced neuroticism (t=-14.087, P<0.001). Acute hypoxia exacerbated anxiety (Z=-4.098, P<0.001), with greater severity in ethnic minority members (H=6.405, P=0.011). Actigraphy demonstrated altitude-dependent sleep fragmentation (WASO: 4,300 m a.s.l versus baseline, P=0.028). N-back tasks confirmed preserved working memory at 3,700 m a.s.l. (accuracy P=0.027) mediated by compensatory prefrontal activation (L-aPFC activation P=0.043). These data establish evidence-based selection criteria for polar science expeditions in high-altitude settings and delineate neuroplastic resilience thresholds under hypoxic stress.

Introduction

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Polar expedition members must adapt to coexisting physiological and psychological challenges in extreme environments1. The high-altitude conditions of Antarctica's interior (elevation > 4000 m a.s.l) can induce hypoxia-related cognitive impairment and sleep disruption. Although only Dome A (>4000 m a.s.l) is a permanent high-altitude Antarctic research station, traverses to inland sites such as Dome A and Dome F involve prolonged exposure (1-2 weeks) to altitudes exceeding 3000-4000 m a.s.l2,3. Moreover, hypoxia is a key stressor encountered both during these traverses and a....

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Protocol

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1. Study participants

  1. Participant selection
    1. Sampling method: A cluster sampling of 30 pre-selected and alternate team members from the Antarctic inland expedition team was taken as the study subjects.
    2. Study subjects: Include all pre-selected candidates and reserve members from the Chinese Antarctic Inland Expedition Team. Exclude individuals unable to complete the training regimen during the training period (e.g., those who failed to complete the training plan due to illness, physical discomfort, or other reasons).
  2. Data collection
  3. Demographic documentation: Record comprehensive sociodemographic data,....

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Results

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Personality traits

Personality characteristics of the pre-selected polar inland expedition members were evaluated using the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Compared to Chinese undergraduate norms18, candidates demonstrated (Table 4) significantly higher scores in Agreeableness (t=3.940, P<0.001) and Conscientiousness (t=9.736, P<0.001); a markedly lower score in Neuroticism (t=−14.078, P<0.001)18. No .......

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Discussion

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Personality traits of pre-selected polar inland expedition members differ significantly from Chinese norms

As measured by the Big Five Inventory-44 (BFI-44), candidates exhibited elevated agreeableness and conscientiousness alongside reduced neuroticism compared to undergraduate norms (Table 3). This triad-heightened social cooperativeness, task-oriented rigor, and emotional stability-aligns with the psychosocial demands of Antarctic expeditions.

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Disclosures

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

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The authors extend their sincere gratitude to the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (Chinese Polar Research Center) for providing critical logistical support and participant access throughout this study. We specifically acknowledge their coordination of high-altitude training protocols and expedition team engagement. The data set is provided by National Arctic and Antarctic Data Center (https://datacenter.chinare.org.cn).

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Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
ActigraphActigraphwGT3X-BTAmerica
ActiLifeActigraph6.15.0America
E-PrimePsychology Software Tools2.0America
IBM SPSS StatisticsIBM29America
Microsoft Office Microsoft Corporation2021America
NirScanHuichuang Medical Equipment500CDanyang, China
NirSparkHuichuang Medical Equipment1.8.8Danyang, China

References

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  1. Wang, Z. J., et al. Applied research on low-altitude wind field using coherent Doppler wind lidar at Zhongshan Station, Antarctic. Chinese J Polar Res. 34 (1), 11-19 (2022).
  2. Wang, T., et al. Ass....

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Tags

High Altitude TrainingNeurobehavioral ChangesSleep FragmentationCognitive AssessmentFunctional Near Infrared SpectroscopyWrist ActigraphyN Back TaskPsychometric ScalesPrefrontal ActivationHypoxic Stress

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