Neurocognitive Functioning is Impaired in Perinatally HIV-Infected Youth

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Infectious Diseases
• Psychology

Background:

• Perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) youth face ongoing neurocognitive challenges into adulthood.
• Early and consistent antiretroviral therapy (ART) has not fully mitigated these deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neurocognitive differences between PHIV-infected youth and healthy controls.
• To assess the impact of HIV infection on cognitive domains, sleep, and depression.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered to assess cognitive functions.
• Overall Neurocognitive Composite Scores and Global Deficit Scores (GDS) were calculated.
• Sleep patterns and depression levels were also evaluated.

Main Results:

• PHIV-infected youth demonstrated poorer performance across all neurocognitive domains compared to controls.
• Significant impairments were noted in verbal learning, impacting overall functioning.
• PHIV-infected youth reported higher rates of depression, with no observed differences in sleep.

Conclusions:

• Neurocognitive deficiencies persist in PHIV-infected young adults despite long-term ART.
• Impaired verbal learning has significant functional implications.
• Untreated depression is prevalent among PHIV-infected youth.