A preliminary study of neurocognitive function of HIV+ /AIDS patients

Abstract

Objective To examine cognitive function of the HIV/AIDS patients in the hospitals measured by the neuropsychological tests battery, make an evaluation of cognitive function of the HIV/AIDS patients, and diagnose the patients with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders(HAND). Methods Ninety-nine normal individuals and two hundred and thirty HIV/AIDS inpatients, who were sampled by multi-stage random stratified in Guangxi, were tested by the 12 items of the neuropsychological tests. Results HIV / AIDS patients with abnormal neuropsychological test entries proportion ranges located between 21.3%-58.7 %.The results of 12 items of the neuropsychological tests were associated with the results of clinical diagnosis. Among them, the results of SC time, SCW time, color attachment, and numbers of the contiguous error in WSCT tests were positively associated with the results of clinical diagnosis, and the correlation coefficient were 0.384, 0.335, 0.237 and 0.129, respectively. There was a negative correlation between the results of the rest assessment and the results of clinical diagnosis; vocabulary fluency was the highest correlation coefficient, while numbers of the contiguous error in WSCT tests was the lowest. Conclusion A higher proportion of abnormal occurrence of Guangxi HIV / AIDS patients in the 12 neuropsychological test entry, and affect the subjects with or without HIV-related neurological assessment of cognitive impairment.The data suggest that a full neuropsychological tests can be better used for the preliminary study of the HIV+ /AIDS patients neurocognitive function. Key words: HIV/AIDS; HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders; Neuropsychological tests