1. Effect of Aging and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection on Cognitive Abilities.
- Author
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Ciccarelli, Nicoletta, Fabbiani, Massimiliano, Baldonero, Eleonora, Fanti, Iuri, Cauda, Roberto, Giambenedetto, Simona Di, and Silveri, Maria Caterina
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AGING , *ANALYSIS of variance , *COGNITION , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *FACTOR analysis , *FISHER exact test , *HIV infections , *PSYCHOLOGICAL tests , *REGRESSION analysis , *T-test (Statistics) , *CROSS-sectional method , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
Objectives To explore the combined effects of aging and human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) infection on cognitive decay. Design Cross-sectional, single-cohort study. Setting Institute of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. Participants One hundred fifty-three asymptomatic HIV-positive ( HIV+) outpatients (20% aged ≥ 60) and an age- and education-matched control population of 39 HIV-negative individuals. Measurements A neuropsychological investigation was conducted to compare four groups of participants classified on the basis of HIV serostatus and age (<60 vs ≥60). The effects of age and HIV infection on neuropsychological performance were analyzed using a two-by-two factorial analysis of variance. Demographic and clinical variables associated with neuropsychological performance were identified using linear regression analysis in the HIV+ population. Results HIV infection and aging had significant negative effects on cognitive performance, but no significant interaction was observed between these two factors. Although older HIV+ participants had worse cognitive performance, they showed no distinct cognitive pattern from younger HIV+ participants. Moreover, younger HIV+ participants' performance on memory tasks was qualitatively and quantitatively comparable with that of older HIV− participants, despite the dramatic age difference. Conclusion Aging and HIV might be additive factors in the expression of cognitive decline. As the HIV+ population ages, routine neuropsychological examinations could help clinicians better understand and manage the expression of cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
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