Effects of acute hypoxia on postural and kinetic tremor

Human physiological tremor is a complex phenomenon that is modulated by numerous mechanical, neurophysiological, and environmental conditions. Researchers investigating tremor have suggested that acute hypoxia increases tremor amplitude. Based on the results of prior studies, we hypothesized that human participants exposed to a simulated altitude of 4,500 m would display an increased tremor amplitude within the 6–12 Hz frequency range. Postural and kinetic tremors were recorded with a laser system in 23 healthy male participants before, during, and after 1 h of altitude-induced hypoxia. A large panel of tremor characteristics was used to investigate the effect of hypoxia. Acute hypoxia increased tremor frequency content between 6 and 12 Hz during both postural and kinetic tremor tasks (P < 0.05, F = 6.142, Eta² = 0.24 and P < 0.05, F = 3.767 Eta² = 0.14, respectively). Although the physiological mechanisms underlying the observed changes in tremor are not completely elucidated yet, this study confirms that acute hypoxia increases tremor frequency in the 6–12 Hz range. Furthermore, this study indicates that changes in physiological tremor can be detected at lower hypoxemic levels than previously reported (blood saturation in oxygen = 80.9%). The effects of hypoxia mainly result from a cascade of events starting with the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis causing in turn an increase in catecholamine release, leading to an augmentation of tremor amplitude in the 6- to12-Hz interval and heart rate increase.