Anticholinergic and Sedative Medications Are Associated With Neurocognitive Performance of Well Treated People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus
- PMID: 36147598
- PMCID: PMC9487636
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac457
Anticholinergic and Sedative Medications Are Associated With Neurocognitive Performance of Well Treated People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Abstract
Background: We previously showed that anticholinergic (ACH) medications contribute to self-reported neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in elderly people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH). The current cross-sectional study further evaluated the effect of ACH and sedative drugs on neurocognitive function in PWH who underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation.
Methods: A medication review was performed in PWH enrolled in the prospective Neurocognitive Assessment in Metabolic and Aging Cohort within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. Neurocognitive functions were analyzed in 5 domains (motor skills, speed of information, attention/working memory, executive functions, and verbal learning memory). The effect of ACH and sedative medications on neurocognitive functioning was evaluated using linear regression models for the continuous (mean z-score) outcome and multivariable logistic regression models for the binary (presence/absence) outcome.
Results: A total of 963 PWH (80% male, 92% Caucasian, 96% virologically suppressed, median age 52) were included. Fourteen percent of participants were prescribed ≥1 ACH medication and 9% were prescribed ≥1 sedative medication. Overall, 40% of participants had NCI. Sedative medication use was associated with impaired attention/verbal learning and ACH medication use with motor skills deficits both in the continuous (mean z-score difference -0.26 to -0.14, P < .001 and P = .06) and binary (odds ratio [OR], ≥1.67; P < .05) models. Their combined use was associated with deficits in overall neurocognitive functions in both models (mean z-score difference -0.12, P = .002 and OR = 1.54, P = .03). These associations were unchanged in a subgroup analysis of participants without depression (n = 824).
Conclusions: Anticholinergic and sedative medications contribute to NCI. Clinicians need to consider these drugs when assessing NCI in PWH.
Keywords: HIV; anticholinergic medication; neuro-HIV; neurocognitive impairment; sedative medication.
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.
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References
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- Wang Y, Liu M, Qingdong L, et al. Global prevalence and burden of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder: a meta-analysis. Neurology 2020; 95:e2610–21. - PubMed
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- Simioni S, Cavassini M, Annoni JM, et al. Cognitive dysfunction in HIV patients despite long-standing suppression of viremia. AIDS 2010; 24:1243–50. - PubMed
