Changes in Altitudes, Changes in Aptitudes?

Can you think harder at high or low elevation?

Jimmy Buffet opined:

It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same

Is it true that attitude correlates with latitude?

I don’t know, but it’s interesting to think about.

What about changes in altitudes, changes in aptitudes?

Back in the 1990s, an in-law started up an ambitious software firm in Albuquerque, NM. I asked him why he didn’t pick Santa Fe, which seemed more fashionable.

He replied that he found that the difference in altitude between Albuquerque (elevation 5,300 feet) versus Santa Fe (elevation 7,000 feet) made it easier to get hard mental work done in the lower city.

Is that true?

I’ve been wondering about that ever since.

Clearly, high altitude hurts physical endurance. The 1968 Summer Olympics at Mexico City (7,300 feet) saw record times in the sprints due to less wind resistance on sprinters, but slower times in the long races. (It wasn’t due to lack of acclimation: the US Olympic team held their track trials outside of Lake Tahoe at 7,400 feet the previous month, and then stuck around to train at altitude.)

What about cognitive performance?

A 2022 meta-analysis in Brain Science suggests people can think better at high altitude:

Brain Sci. 2022 Dec 19;12(12):1736. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12121736

Cognition and Neuropsychological Changes at Altitude—A Systematic Review of Literature

Kathrin Bliemsrieder, Elisabeth Margarete Weiss, Rainald Fischer, Hermann Bruggee, Barbara Sperner-Unterweger, Katharina Hüfner

Editor: Adriana Salatino

Abstract

High-altitude (HA) exposure affects cognitive functions, but studies have found inconsistent results. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of HA exposure on cognitive functions in healthy subjects. A structural overview of the applied neuropsychological tests was provided with a classification of superordinate cognitive domains. A literature search was performed using PubMed up to October 2021 according to PRISMA guidelines. Eligibility criteria included a healthy human cohort exposed to altitude in the field (at minimum 2440 m [8000 ft]) or in a hypoxic environment in a laboratory, and an assessment of cognitive domains. The literature search identified 52 studies (29 of these were field studies; altitude range: 2440 m–8848 m [8000–29,029 ft]). Researchers applied 112 different neuropsychological tests. Attentional capacity, concentration, and executive functions were the most frequently studied. In the laboratory, the ratio of altitude-induced impairments (64.7%) was twice as high compared to results showing no change or improved results (35.3%), but altitudes studied were similar in the chamber compared to field studies. In the field, the opposite results were found (66.4 % no change or improvements, 33.6% impairments). Since better acclimatization can be assumed in the field studies, the findings support the hypothesis that sufficient acclimatization has beneficial effects on cognitive functions at HA. However, it also becomes apparent that research in this area would benefit most if a consensus could be reached on a standardized framework of freely available neurocognitive tests.

Perhaps, but self-selection seems like an issue.

Paywall here.