Antiretroviral therapy affects the z-score index of deviant cortical EEG rhythms in naïve HIV individuals

Abstract

ObjectiveHere we tested the effect of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on deviant electroencephalographic (EEG) source activity in treatment-naïve HIV individuals.MethodsResting state eyes-closed EEG data were recorded before and after 5 months of cART in 48 male HIV subjects, who were naïve at the study start. The EEG data were also recorded in 59 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects as a control group. Frequency bands of interest included delta, theta, alpha1, alpha2 and alpha3, based on alpha frequency peak specific to each individual. They also included beta1 (13–20 Hz) and beta2 (20–30 Hz). Low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) estimated EEG cortical source activity in frontal, central, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions.ResultsBefore the therapy, the HIV group showed greater parietal delta source activity and lower spatially diffuse alpha source activity compared to the control group. Thus, the ratio of parietal delta and alpha3 source activity served as an EEG marker. The z-score showed a statistically deviant EEG marker (EEG +) in 50% of the HIV individuals before therapy (p < 0.05). After 5 months of cART, delta source activity decreased, and alpha3 source activity increased in the HIV subjects with EEG + (about 50% of them showed a normalized EEG marker).ConclusionsThis procedure detected a deviant EEG marker before therapy and its post-therapy normalization in naïve HIV single individuals.SignificanceThe parietal delta/alpha3 EEG marker may be used to monitor cART effects on brain function in such individuals.

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

“… Fernández-Cruz and Fellows (2017) summarized a systematic review of such studies published between 1996 and 2016. Across studies, EEG/ERP measures were associated with cognitive test scores, and several longitudinal studies ( Babiloni et al, 2015 , 2016a , 2016b ) suggested that after successful treatment, EEG metrics shifted toward values typically observed in healthy participants. Two primary findings were consistent across all reviewed studies: First, a significant reduction in EEG alpha power was observed for HIV groups recorded during resting state under both eyes open and eyes closed condition ( Babiloni et al, 2014 , 2015 , 2016a , 2016b ), and during auditory oddball task ( Polich et al 2000 ).…”

“…Across studies, EEG/ERP measures were associated with cognitive test scores, and several longitudinal studies ( Babiloni et al, 2015 , 2016a , 2016b ) suggested that after successful treatment, EEG metrics shifted toward values typically observed in healthy participants. Two primary findings were consistent across all reviewed studies: First, a significant reduction in EEG alpha power was observed for HIV groups recorded during resting state under both eyes open and eyes closed condition ( Babiloni et al, 2014 , 2015 , 2016a , 2016b ), and during auditory oddball task ( Polich et al 2000 ). Second, HIV groups exhibited decreased amplitude and increased latency of the P300 and the Late Positive Potential (LPP) components ( Polich et al, 2000 ; Polich and Basho, 2002 ; Chao et al, 2004 ; Bauer, 2011 ; Olichney et al, 2011 ; Papaliagkas et al, 2011 ).…”

“…HIV enters the central nervous system (CNS) soon after infection resulting in multiple neuropathological alterations ( O’Connor et al, 2018 ; Gelman, 2015 ). Advances in anti-retroviral therapies (ART) have significantly improved patients’ life expectancy and quality of life through reduction of viral load with concomitant decreases in both encephalitis and opportunistic central nervous system (CNS) infections ( Babiloni et al, 2014 , 2016a ; Nakagawa et al, 2013 ). HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) have also been mitigated with ART ( Ances and Clifford, 2008 ; Clifford, 2008 ; Williams et al, 2012 ).…”

“…Since EEG reflects postsynaptic currents directly, EEG-based measures such as event related potentials (ERPs) show promise in helping track subtle neuropathological changes associated with cognitive decline. These measures can be used to assess the efficacy of novel interventions and benefit the overall clinical management of HIV patients ( Picton et al, 2000 ; Clifford, 2008 ; Babiloni et al, 2016b , 2016a ). For example, studies suggest that ERPs could reveal early functional abnormalities in HIV patients before they become apparent in clinical assessments or structural MRI ( Comi et al, 1996 ; Polich et al, 2000 ; Fernández-Cruz and Fellows, 2017 ).…”

Parietal resting-state EEG alpha source connectivity is associated with subcortical white matter lesions in HIV-positive people

“…The main findings are summarized in the following. Treatment-Naïve HIV participants and those receiving a successful combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) were characterized by an abnormal increase and decrease in the rsEEG delta and alpha source activities, respectively, with maximum effects in the parietal regions (Babiloni et al, 2012(Babiloni et al, , 2014(Babiloni et al, , 2016a. The parietal intrahemispheric rsEEG alpha source connectivity was abnormal in the treatmentnaïve HIV participants, mainly when cognitive deficits were observed (Babiloni et al, 2022).…”