Background
The influence of disease severity on cognitive and adaptive functioning in perinatally infected youth with (PHIV+/C) and without (PHIV+/NoC) a previous AIDS-defining illness (CDC Class C event), compared to perinatally exposed but uninfected youth (PHEU) is not well understood.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional analysis of cognitive and adaptive functioning in PHIV+/C (n=88), PHIV+/NoC (n=270), and PHEU (n=200) youth aged 7 to 16 years, from a multi-site prospective cohort study. Youth and caregivers completed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) and the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS-II) respectively. We compared means and rates of impairment between groups, and examined associations with other psychosocial factors.
Results
Overall mean scores on measures of cognitive and adaptive functioning were in the low average range for all three groups. After adjustment for covariates, mean full scale IQ (FSIQ) scores were significantly lower for the PHIV+/C group than the PHIV+/NoC and PHEU groups (mean=77.8 vs 83.4 and 83.3, respectively), while no significant differences were observed between the PHEU and PHIV+/NoC groups in any domain. Lower cognitive performance for the PHIV+/C group was primarily attributable to a prior diagnosis of encephalopathy. No significant differences between groups were observed in adaptive functioning.
Conclusion
For long-term survivors, youth with HIV infection and a prior CDC class C event have higher risk for cognitive but not adaptive impairment regardless of current health status; this finding appears attributable to a previous diagnosis of encephalopathy. Early preventive therapy may be critical in reducing risk of later neurodevelopmental impairments.
Elite controllers are hospitalized more frequently than persons with medically controlled HIV and cardiovascular hospitalizations are an important contributor.
A distant history of AIDS diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of neurocognitive and psychiatric impairment in adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV. Further research should help delineate if early treatment, possibly soon after birth and definitely prior to AIDS diagnosis, might lead to improved outcomes.
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