Key result
Longer chronic high-altitude exposure is linked to a trend toward enhanced internally-oriented imagery vividness.
Why the study?
To investigate whether chronic high-altitude exposure is associated with a shift in perceptual priority toward internally-directed processing, rather than merely modifying external processing speed or accuracy.
Cross-Sectional (n=112)
No
Chronic high-altitude exposure may shift perceptual resource allocation toward an internally-oriented processing bias, potentially integrated via parasympathetic autonomic regulation.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May suggest shifted perceptual priorities in high-altitude residents; leaves open causal effects and clinical relevance.
Background High-altitude environments impose unique physiological and cognitive demands that may reorganize brain–body communication. Our study investigates whether chronic high-altitude exposure is associated with a shift in perceptual priority toward internally-directed processing, rather than merely modifying external processing speed or accuracy. Methods We recruited 112 Han immigrants residing at high altitude to complete assessments of visual imagery vividness under eyes-open (externally-oriented) and eyes-closed (internally-oriented) conditions, along with attention network tests. We also collected a comprehensive panel of multimodal physiological indices, including markers of inflammation, erythrocytic parameters, liver function, cardiovascular metrics, and heart rate variability (as a proxy for autonomic regulation). Analyses employed latent profile analysis and regression mixture modeling. Results We found that prolonged high-altitude exposure showed a trend toward selectively enhancing internally-oriented imagery vividness under eyes-closed conditions, while externally-oriented processing remained stable. Critically, enhanced internally-oriented imagery was differentially associated with improved orienting attention, whereas externally-oriented imagery was linked to alerting attention, suggesting a functional differentiation in attentional reorganization. Physiologically, interleukin-6 levels were associated with externally-oriented vividness, whereas erythrocytic heterogeneity, liver function, and high-frequency heart rate variability (an index of parasympathetic-associated cardiac regulation) selectively correlated with internally-oriented processing. Conclusion These results suggest that chronic high-altitude exposure may be associated with a reweighting of perceptual resource allocation toward an internally-oriented processing bias, with parasympathetic-associated autonomic regulation as a potential brain–body integrative mechanism. This work extends prior findings by proposing a shift in perceptual priority rather than merely processing efficiency, advancing a multi-system framework for understanding human brain–body adaptation in extreme environments.
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Jian et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy adults (Han immigrants to high altitude) (n=112). Chronic high-altitude exposure vs. Shorter duration of exposure (continuous predictor) was evaluated on Probability of belonging to the eyes-closed-clear (internally-directed) imagery vividness class (OR 1.196, p=0.069). Longer duration of chronic high-altitude exposure showed a trend toward enhancing internally-oriented imagery vividness (OR 1.196, p=0.069), suggesting a shift in perceptual priority.
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