Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021:50:225-244.
doi: 10.1007/7854_2019_92.

Neurocognitive Complications of HIV Infection in Low-Income Countries

Alyssa Vecchio  1 , Ned Sacktor  2 , Deanna Saylor  2 , Kevin Robertson  3
Affiliations

Neurocognitive Complications of HIV Infection in Low-Income Countries

Alyssa Vecchio et al. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2021.

Abstract

There is a paucity of information on neurocognitive dysfunction in individuals with HIV in resource-limited regions, despite the fact that these areas have the greatest burden of infection. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) remains a common complication of HIV despite the use of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). HAND is a major cause of morbidity of HIV+ individuals and is estimated to be the most prevalent form of neurocognitive impairment worldwide in young adults. This finding has drastic implications for the productivity and social engagement of young adults in the development of industry, education, and healthcare, which is particularly relevant in low-income countries. Building an infrastructure to examine the neurological and neuropsychological characteristics of HIV+ individuals in resource-limited settings (RLS) can advance the understanding of the unique contributing factors of HIV-1 clades in these regions of high prevalence, improve neurological monitoring, explore the CNS HIV reservoir, and provide key information on prevention/interventions to help manage/improve these neurological and neuropsychological complications.

Keywords: ART; HIV; HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder; Low income countries; Resource limited settings.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Akolo C, Royal W, Cherner M et al (2014) Neurocognitive impairment associated with predominantly early stage HIV infection in Abuja, Nigeria. J Neurovirol 20(4):380–387 - PubMed - PMC
    1. Antinori A et al (2007) Updated research nosology for HIV associated neurocognitive disorders. Neurology 69(18):1789–1799 - PubMed
    1. Awori V, Mativo P, Yonga G, Shah R (2018) The association between asymptomatic and mild neurocognitive impairment and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among people living with human immunodeficiency virus. S Afr J HIV Med 19(1):674
    1. Belete T, Medfu G, Yemiyamrew E (2017) Prevalence of HIV associated neurocognitive deficit among HIV positive people in Ethiopia: a cross sectional study at Ayder Referral Hospital. Ethiop J Health Sci 27(1):67–76 - PubMed - PMC
    1. Benedict RH, Mezhir JJ, Walsh K, Hewitt RG (2000) Impact of human immunodeficiency virus type-1-associated cognitive dysfunction on activities of daily living and quality of life. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 15(6):535–544 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources