An energy-efficient cognitive strategy? Neurophysiological dynamics of “slow but steady” attention in high-altitude Tibetans

Abstract

Indigenous Tibetans have developed documented physiological and neuroanatomical adaptations to high-altitude environments. However, the functional dynamics of their cognitive processing at such altitudes remain poorly characterized. To address this gap, we employed a visual search paradigm with high-temporal-resolution electroencephalography (EEG) to examine stimulus-driven attention (SDA) and goal-directed attention (GDA) in high-altitude Tibetans, with sea-level Han participants as a comparison group. Tibetans exhibited a “slow but steady” attentional pattern: despite longer reaction times (RTs), accuracy remained high (>95 %) and was comparable to that of Han controls in both attention types. This behavioral pattern in the Tibetan group was accompanied by distinctive late‑stage neural dynamics, reflected by smaller late positive potential (LPP) and late posterior negativity (LPN) and by lower theta‑band (4 - 10 Hz) event-related synchronization (ERS) during SDA, as well as smaller LPP during GDA. Source localization of the effects observed in these event-related potential (ERP) components and theta‑band ERS indicated predominant involvement of posterior midline and control-related regions in Han participants, whereas Tibetans showed greater engagement of motor‑related regions. These findings likely reflect an energy-efficient cognitive strategy for high-altitude adaptation. This study refines understanding of cognitive plasticity in extreme environments and provides electrophysiological foundations to inform interventions for high-altitude populations.