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Pete's Post from Antarctica - August 2005

last night i had a great idea for my Vertigo piece this month. I decided to start writing it in the morning. Today I am able to remember that I needed to write this article, and that I came up with a theme last night. But I can't remember what the actual idea was. So I'll tell you about Polar T3 syndrome, which most winter-over personnel seem to suffer from. One of the symptoms is forgetfulness.

We've all been medically and psychologically cleared as fit for wintering-over in Antarctica. We were recruited partly because we're supposed to possess personality traits that will allow us to cope with the isolation, cold, darkness, and living in a close community of workmates. And we've all got a sense of humour that makes us laugh at the silly things we sometimes find ourselves doing.

All of us at Scott Base have had experiences like collecting the tools to do a job, walking to the other end of the base, and then trying to remember what the actual job was. Or walking to the computer to send an email, and then forgetting who we wanted to write to.

My memory is normally much better than this when I'm living in NZ, and my workmates are the same. So why are we affected like this? It actually doesn't come as a surprise to us - we were well briefed on this by a psychologist, Dr Gary Steel, during our pre-deployment training in Christchurch. Research has shown that people who work in Antarctica experience a decline of thyroid hormone products, dulled thinking, lethargy, and mood disturbances.

Through the production of thyroid hormones, the thyroid gland is involved in regulating metabolism - how the body uses energy and at what speed. Researchers believe that living in Antarctica causes the muscles to hoard thyroid hormone in order to warm the body, at the expense of the brain. Whenever the concentration of thyroid hormone in the blood dips too low (hypothyroidism), metabolism slows and fatigue, poor memory, weight gain and depression set in. This condition is called "polar T3 syndrome" (T3 is one of the thyroid hormones) when it is caused by living in the Antarctic.

More than half the people who stay through the Antarctic winter go through actual physical changes. Their metabolism generally increases by about 40 percent. As their hormone levels change, people become forgetful, depressed and tired. Typically people feel some change soon after they arrive on the Ice in October or November, as their bodies adapt. Their mood and energy levels improve midway through the summer season and peak near the end of the summer, and then drop again in midwinter. As the winter goes on these mood changes can be more of a drain on your energy. People have been known to stare into space for minutes at a time in what is called the "Antarctic stare." By the end of winter they may be, in Antarctic lingo, "toast".
That's one of the reasons the NZ Antarctic program doesn't allow us to winter-over for two successive years.

We manage this condition by being organised with our work, by writing lists, and by keeping to regular schedules. We need to be tolerant of other people's forgetfulness, and not take offence when someone reminds us of a job we had promised to do for them.

Actually, it's not as bad as it sounds. I notice it most when Scott Base hosts a quiz-night for our American neighbours. Often I'm aware that I should know the answer to a question, but can't quite recall it. Doing a crossword is another time when it is noticeable. It's not too different from
the slightly impaired reasoning and memory processes I've experienced at high altitude (above 5000 metres).

Some of our staff have suffered from sleeping problems. This is common when you don't have any sunrises and sunsets to regulate your day. I'm lucky enough to have had no problems like this, but other staff went for days without sleep during the summer. One person had to be stood down from her regular duties in the interests of safety, and was also prescribed sleeping pills. It was still another few days before she was able to get to sleep. In winter, people often have difficulty in waking up, or experience drowsiness during the day.

Lack of vitamin D or low exposure to sunlight is apparently related to hormone production and therefore to the changes in our metabolism. According to an article I've just read, Vitamin D is actually NOT a vitamin because the body can and does synthesize all that it needs. Vitamin D is really a hormone synthesized by the action of sunlight on plant sterols found in our skin. Our body levels of Vitamin D are only slightly affected by dietary sources such as milk fortified with Vitamin D and Vitamin pills. Because Vitamin D is fat-soluble, this hormone can be stored in our body fat for long periods of time. Therefore, intermittent exposure to sunlight is adequate. Our minimum requirement for sunlight is small and most people in their daily activities easily meet it, as long as they live in places where the sun is visible.

The American base, McMurdo Station, has a room with special full-spectrum lighting where you can sit and relax. They also have a hydroponics room where fresh vegetables and herbs are grown. Visitors are welcome, due to the therapeutic affects of the artificial sunlight. Scott Base used to have a hydroponics room, but it became infected with the small springtail insect (which is the largest land animal in Antarctica - seals are considered marine animals). It had to be shut down for decontamination. Plans are underway for the hydroponics room to be recommissioned again, but some of our engineering people appear reluctant due to the cost of the fuel required to generate electricity for the lights and pumps.

Anyway, that's enough for this month - I'd better go and do something else. The only problem is that I've forgotten what else I was supposed to be doing!!

Pete De Joux from Antarctica