IAS 2011 - Riduzione dei Danni Neurologici

Uno studio presentato a Roma allo Ias ha dimostrato che c'e' stata una riduzione dei danni neurologici in persone con Hiv.
Questa riduzione e' da correlarsi all'uso degli antiretrovirali e alla loro maggiore efficacia.
Lo studio in questione e' stato fatto in Italia.
Results from a recent Italian study indicate that there has been a decrease in the number of HIV-positive individuals with HIV-associated neurological disorders in the last 15 years, which the researchers described as small but significant. They attributed the decrease to the protective effects of antiretroviral therapy.

Additionally, the authors of the study observed that older age, low CD4 (white blood cell) counts, advanced HIV infections, and less education were associated with a higher risk of HIV-associated neurological disorders.

“Cognitive impairment persists in the HAART [highly active antiretroviral therapy] era. However, we do see a small but significant downtrend, indicating that HAART is somehow protective,” said Dr. Valerio Tozzi, who presented the results last week at the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention (IAS 2011).

HIV infects the central nervous system – the brain and spinal cord – very quickly after initial infection, frequently leading to cognitive impairment. This impairment can affect the ability to think and reason, concentrate, remember things, process information, learn, and speak.

Despite the advent of antiretroviral therapy, HIV-associated neurological disorders remain common in people with HIV. Some studies have shown that neurological impairment can persist even after successfully achieving viral suppression and immune recovery.

In this study, researchers conducted a 15-year survey to assess the rates and risk factors for HIV-associated neurological disorders over time.

The study included 1,375 HIV-positive participants. The authors conducted several neurological tests to assess each participant for impairments in memory, motor skills, mental processing, and visual-spatial abilities.

Results showed that the rate of neurological disorders declined over time, although they remained common: 38 percent of study participants in the period from 2008 to 2010 were diagnosed with cognitive disorders, compared to 46 percent of study participants assessed during 1996 to 1998. The severity of disorders also decreased during this period, with more participants having asymptomatic disorders and fewer having mild impairment or HIV-associated dementia.

Results also showed that participants with more years on HAART were less likely to have neurological problems.

Additionally, patients with neurological impairment were an average of four years older, had more advanced HIV infections, had lower CD4 counts (an average of 351 cells per microliter, compared to 483 cells per microliter in participants without cognitive disorders), and had an average of 2.5 fewer years of education.

For more information, please see the study abstract and presentation on the IAS 2011 conference website.