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The assessment of cognitive function in advanced HIV-1 infection and AIDS dementia complex using a new computerised
Lucette A J Cysique1, Paul Maruff, David Darby
1Faculty of Medicine, St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. lcysique@ucsd.edu
Abstract:
The validity of a new computerised battery called CogState was determined in 60 individuals with advanced human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection from which eleven were assessed as AIDS dementia complex (ADC) stage 1 or 2. Twenty-one seronegative individuals were recruited as controls. Participants were evaluated with a brief computerised examination, lasting 10-15 min, assessing reaction time, accuracy in working memory and learning. They were also assessed with a standard neuropsychological examination lasting 1h 30 min on average. The computerised assessment demonstrated a good sensitivity of 81.1% and specificity of 69.9% as well as good positive predictive value (81%) and acceptable construct validity (.45-.62). Slowed reaction time and learning deficits in the computerised battery were characteristic of ADC. This study supports the utility of a brief computerised battery in the detection of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment that could be used for wide-scale screening.
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