Executive function is a complex involving multiple advanced brain functions like planning, working memory, mental flexibility and psychomotor. Previous researches indicated that executive function may be impaired after acute or chronic high-altitude exposure, while the underlying neurobiological mechanism has not been totally clarified. In the present study, based on 69 young healthy volunteers immigrating to high-altitude, Stroop test was utilized to identify the potential impairment of executive function after two-year high-altitude exposure while resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) technology was employed to observe the alteration of resting-state networks. Stroop test indicated that the subjects experienced significantly lower accuracies and prolonged responding time after two-year exposure. Resting-state network analysis displayed a significantly decreased degree of co-activation within the left/right frontoparietal network, sensorimotor network, and auditory network after exposure. In the frontoparietal network, decreased co-activation intensity was found in left angular gyrus, while in the right frontoparietal network, decreased co-activation intensity was found in left precentral gyrus and postcentral gyrus. Similarly, as for sensorimotor and auditory network, left middle frontal gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus was identified to have decreased co-activation, respectively. Moreover, the responding delays in ST (part II) were negatively correlated with the signal intensity alteration of the right frontoparietal network. All these evidences indicated that the high-altitude exposure induced alteration in above resting state networks may be the functional basis of executive control impairment.

执行功能是一个复杂的系统，涉及多个高级大脑功能，例如计划，工作记忆，心理灵活性和精神运动。先前的研究表明，急性或慢性高海拔暴露后执行功能可能受损，而其潜在的神经生物学机制尚未完全阐明。在本研究中，以69名年轻健康志愿者迁移到高海拔为基础，采用Stroop测试来确定两年高海拔暴露后的静息状态功能MRI（rs-fMRI）技术对执行功能的潜在损害。用来观察静止状态网络的变化。Stroop测试表明，两年暴露后，受试者的准确率明显降低，响应时间延长。静息状态网络分析显示，暴露后左/右额顶网，感觉运动网络和听觉网络内的共激活程度显着降低。在额前额网中，左角回中的共激活强度降低，而在额前额中网中，左中央前回和中后回的共激活强度降低。同样，对于感觉运动和听觉网络，左中额回和左颞上回分别被确定具有降低的共激活。此外，ST（第二部分）的响应延迟与右额叶前额网络的信号强度变化呈负相关。