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White Matter Development is Potentially Influenced in Adolescents with Vertically Transmitted HIV Infections: A
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|August 1, 2015
Summary
HIV infection in adolescents impacts white matter (WM) development, particularly in frontal regions, suggesting potential hypomyelination and demyelination. WM integrity may offer a new therapeutic target for early HIV intervention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- HIV is linked to white matter (WM) abnormalities in adults.
- The effect of HIV on WM development in adolescents is largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate WM microstructure integrity in adolescents with vertically transmitted HIV using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
Main Methods:
- Compared fractional anisotropy (FA) in 15 HIV-positive adolescents and 26 controls using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics.
- Performed VOI analysis to examine diffusivity indices in altered WM regions.
- Correlated FA alterations with clinical measures in HIV-positive individuals.
Main Results:
- HIV-positive adolescents showed significantly reduced FA in corpus callosum, corona radiata, frontal/parietal WM, and superior longitudinal fasciculus.
- Reduced FA was linked to increased radial diffusivity, indicating potential demyelination.
- Frontal WM FA correlated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) duration and age at HAART onset.
Conclusions:
- Early HIV infection adversely affects adolescent WM development, especially in frontal WM, corpus callosum, and corona radiata.
- Findings suggest hypomyelination and demyelination as potential mechanisms.
- WM integrity emerges as a potential therapeutic target for HIV-infected adolescents.
