[Changes in human reaction time during adaptation to mountainous conditions]

In studies on human adaptation to mountain environment (Altai, 2.600 m) the following psychophysiological characteristics were measured: latency of simple motor reaction (RT), time of reaction to a moving object (RMO) and estimations of time intervals. It has been shown that during the first days of adaptation, RT of right and left hands significantly increases by 10% as compared to the control data (Novosibirsk), as well as weighted dispersion of these parameters. Deviations in RMO in 11--20th subsequent measurements and their dispersion increase significantly. This testifies to a destabilization of functions, due to rapid fatigue, impairment of mobility and functional efficiency of nervous centres. Further stay in mountains leads to an optimization of human time reactions: RT is shortened, deviations in RMO decrease, subjective estimation of time intervals becomes more precise. Of special interest is that improvement of psychophysiological parameters is accompanied by a sharp decline of their dispersion. Such increase in adaptability and narrowing of variations range are typical of the state of tension of regulatory systems.