High-altitude (HA) environments (above 2,500 meters) impose unique physiological challenges on the human body, including hypoxia, cold stress, and enhanced ultraviolet radiation. These factors trigger acute and chronic neuroadaptive responses. While prior research has extensively explored hypoxia-driven cerebral plasticity changes and their impacts on cognitive and emotional functions, critical knowledge gaps persist in several areas: (1) molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neuroadaptation under extreme altitude conditions (e.g., above 5,000 meters); (2) lasting health consequences of repeated or prolonged HA exposure; (3) translational potential of neuroprotective strategies. Furthermore, studies on neurobiological responses in vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly remain fragmented. This special issue aims to address these gaps through multidisciplinary integration.
By synthesizing interdisciplinary approaches, this collection seeks to advance understanding of how extreme HA environments influence neural function and health outcomes. Key objectives include:
1. Elucidating neurophysiological and molecular mechanisms of acute and chronic neuroadaptation to hypoxia and other HA stressors.
2. Characterizing HA exposure effects on cognitive performance, emotional regulation, and sleep architecture across diverse populations.
3. Identifying biomarkers and risk factors for altitude-related neurological disorders (e.g., high-altitude cerebral edema, cognitive decline).
We welcome submissions across, but not limited to, the following themes:
1. Neuroimaging and Electrophysiology: Structural/functional brain alterations in HA populations; EEG/fMRI correlates of cognitive and emotional adaptation.
2. Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms: Hypoxia-induced gene expression, neuroinflammation, and synaptic plasticity.
3. Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience: Executive function, memory, and decision-making under HA stress; psychiatric comorbidities (e.g., anxiety, depression).
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Clinical Trial
Community Case Study
Conceptual Analysis
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
