EEG event related potentials in sustained, focused and divided attention tasks: Potential biomarkers for cognitive impairment in HIV patients

The objective of this study was to assess the usability of event-related-potentials (ERPs) during sustained, focused, and divided attention tasks as biomarkers for cognitive decline in HIV patients.

EEG was acquired using a mobile/wireless 9-channel system in 39 persons with HIV, with well-controlled immune function and 63 healthy control participants (HCs) during three ERP tasks: sustained attention, focused attention, and divided attention.

The HIV-group evidenced smaller late positive potential (LPP) and larger P200 amplitudes across the tasks compared to the HC group. P200 amplitude was correlated (r = 0.56) with the estimated duration of infection. Both groups showed higher P200 and LPP amplitudes in response to infrequent stimuli; this effect was not significantly different between groups. In the sustained attention task, the HIV-group showed significantly slower reaction time than controls while maintaining the same level of accuracy. In the divided attention task, the HIV-group showed a trend towards faster/less accurate responses.

HIV seropositive participants receiving anti-retroviral treatment (ART) demonstrated significantly larger P200 amplitude during three different attention tasks. This may reflect attentional deficits characterized by over-attending to non-target/distracting stimuli.

These findings demonstrate the potential benefits of EEG-ERP metrics derived from attention tasks as neurocognitive biomarkers for HIV. This approach may reveal underlying causes of attentional deficits in HIV patients.