Conclusion
ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS
The preventive treatment with 375 mg acetazolamide per day significantly improved post-sleep visuomotor performance impairment at altitude in healthy, middle-aged people compared to placebo but had no effect on performance during adaptation and immediate recall. Acetazolamide also improved visuomotor learning and prevented worsening of correct test execution at altitude during adaptation and post-sleep recall. Our findings are clinically important as they illustrate potentially serious risks for mountaineers, and people working at altitude that may prevail even in the absence of warning symptoms of acute mountain sickness, but which can be improved by preventive acetazolamide treatment.