NCT06121206: ALTIBRAIN

Effects of Altitude-like Cognition Training on Neuroplasticity and Cognitive Functions

Completed NA Last updated 26 September 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Altitude-like hypoxia (12% O2) in Cognitive Impairment in 190 participants. Completed in 30 July 2025.

Timeline

1 February 2023

Primary endpoint
1 July 2025

30 July 2025

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	double
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	190
Start date	1 February 2023
Primary completion	1 July 2025
Estimated completion	30 July 2025
Sites	1 location across Denmark

Drugs / interventions tested

• Altitude-like hypoxia (12% O2)
• Normoxia (20% O2)
• Cognitive training
• Sham training

Conditions studied

• Cognitive Impairment — all drugs for Cognitive Impairment →
• Bipolar Disorder — all drugs for Bipolar Disorder →
• Depression — all drugs for Depression →

Sponsor

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital

Who can join

Adults 18 to 65, any sex, with Cognitive Impairment or Bipolar Disorder. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the effects of a three-week altitude-like cognition training intervention in healthy individuals (substudy 1) and symptomatically stable patients with mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder; substudy 2). This multi-modal intervention consists of an adaptive cognitive training programme that participants complete while they're inside an altitude-training room with 12% O2, corresponding to 4400 meters altitude.

Across substudy 1 and 2, the investigators hypothesize that altitude-like cognition training has a beneficial effect on cognition after three-weeks treatment completion measured with a global cognition composite score (primary outcome measure). Further, the investigators hypothesize that hypoxia and cognition training will yield improved executive functioning after treatment completion and changes in brain activity during working memory in the dorsal prefrontal cortex 4 weeks after treatment completion (secondary outcome measures). In the patient study, the investigators further hypothesize that the intervention will have beneficial effects on daily-life cognition measured in virtual reality (VR) 4 weeks after treatment completion (secondary outcome measure in substudy 2). For exploratory purposes, the study will examine effects on additional measures of cognition, functioning and self-ratings scales (tertiary outcomes).

The investigators will compare the combination of altitude-like hypoxia (12%) and cognitive training with (1) hypoxia with no training, (2) cognitive training under normal oxygen levels (normoxia; 20%), and (3) normoxia with no training in healthy individuals (substudy 1). For patients with mood disorders (substudy 2) the effects of altitude-like hypoxia (12%) and cognitive training are compared to treatment as usual (TAU).

Publications & conference data

3 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Effects of cognitive training under hypoxia on cognitive proficiency and neuroplasticity in remitted patients with mood disorders and healthy individuals: ALTIBRAIN study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
   Miskowiak KW, Damgaard V, Schandorff JM, Macoveanu J, et al · · 2024 · cited 4× · PMID 39363230 · DOI 10.1186/s13063-024-08463-5
2. Neural underpinnings of memory encoding and retrieval: Validation of a novel ecologically valid fMRI paradigm.
   Thommesen KK, Damgaard V, Mariegaard J, Jespersen AE, et al · · 2024 · cited 1× · PMID 40656075 · DOI 10.1016/j.nsa.2024.104084
3. Prefrontal and hippocampal microstructural gray matter following cognitive training under moderate hypoxia in mood disorders: a randomized controlled trial.
   Jensen KHR, Østergaard IP, Damgaard V, Schandorff JM, et al · · 2026 · PMID 42027683 · DOI 10.3389/fnins.2026.1798024