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World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2026; 16(7): 116065
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.116065
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.116065
Cognitive-behavioral therapy in high-altitude respiratory care: Critical considerations for physiological interpretation
Ling-Xia Sun, Cheng Huang, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jianhu County People’s Hospital, Yancheng 224700, Jiangsu Province, China
Miao-Miao Deng, Na Dong, Department of Neurology, Jianhu County People’s Hospital, Yancheng 224700, Jiangsu Province, China
Kang-Kang Ji, Department of Clinical Medical Research, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng 224500, Jiangsu Province, China
Kang-Kang Ji, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Kang-Kang Ji and Na Dong.
Author contributions: Dong N and Ji KK conceived the theme of this letter, contributed equally to this manuscript, and are co-corresponding authors; Sun LX completed the drafting with the assistance of Huang C and Deng MM; Dong N and Sun LX made significant contributions in gathering expert opinions; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Na Dong, MD, Chief Physician, Department of Neurology, Jianhu County People’s Hospital, No. 275 Renmin South Road, Yancheng 224700, Jiangsu Province, China. 15371198731@163.com
Received: November 2, 2025
Revised: November 20, 2025
Accepted: January 8, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 239 Days and 22.4 Hours
Revised: November 20, 2025
Accepted: January 8, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 239 Days and 22.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Cognitive-behavioral therapy significantly alleviates anxiety and improves sleep quality in high-altitude respiratory patients. However, rapid reductions in hypoxia biomarkers (hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and erythropoietin) after 5-day interventions more likely reflect transient stress modulation than durable physiological adaptation, given their discordance with natural acclimatization timelines. Future studies should prioritize longitudinal biomarker tracking, objective physiological measures (e.g., tissue oxygenation), and medication-stratified analyses to definitively establish the role of cognitive-behavioral therapy in hypoxia tolerance—a distinction vital for optimizing high-altitude rehabilitation.