Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Quantification of Cerebral Vascular Architecture using Two-photon Microscopy in a Mouse Model of HIV-induced Neuroinflammation
Published on: January 12, 2016
Prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study
Ned Sacktor1, Richard L Skolasky2, Eric Seaberg2
1From the Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (N.S.), and the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery (R.L.S.) and Psychiatry (C.M.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; the Department of Epidemiology (E.S.), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD; the Department of Psychiatry (J.T.B.), University of Pittsburgh, PA; the Department of Psychiatry (E.M.), Rush University School of Medicine, Chicago, IL; the Department of Radiology (A.R.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; and the Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (A.L.), and the Department of Psychiatry (E.M.), University of California, Los Angeles. sacktor@jhmi.edu.
Objective:
To evaluate the frequency of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in HIV+ individuals and determine whether the frequency of HAND changed over 4 years of follow-up.
Methods:
The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) is a prospective study of gay/bisexual men. Beginning in 2007, all MACS participants received a full neuropsychological test battery and functional assessments every 2 years to allow for HAND classification.
Results:
The frequency of HAND for the 364 HIV+ individuals seen in 2007-2008 was 33% and for the 197 HIV+ individuals seen at all time periods during the 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2011-2012 periods were 25%, 25%, and 31%, respectively. The overall frequency of HAND increased from 2009-2010 to 2011-2012 (p = 0.048). Over the 4-year study, 77% of the 197 HIV+ individuals remained at their same stage, with 13% showing deterioration and 10% showing improvement in HAND stage. Hypercholesterolemia was associated with HAND progression. A diagnosis of asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of symptomatic HAND compared to a diagnosis of normal cognition.
Conclusion:
HAND remains common in HIV+ individuals. However, for the majority of HIV+ individuals on combination antiretroviral therapy with systemic virologic suppression, the diagnosis of HAND is not a progressive condition over 4 years of follow-up. Future studies should evaluate longitudinal changes in HAND and specific neurocognitive domains over a longer time period.
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ...
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health...
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis
Bias in Epidemiological Studies
Retrovirus Life Cycles

