Severe altitude sickness, such as high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and chronic hypoxemia, can induce significant neurological injury, oxidative stress, and brain alterations.
The retrieved literature documents that high-altitude hypoxia can precipitate severe conditions like high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), microbleeds, cytotoxic edema, and cognitive impairment. Because these pathologies involve structural brain changes and cellular injury, the claim that altitude sickness causes brain damage is supported by the evidence.