Cognitive disorders in HIV-infected and AIDS patients in Guangxi, China

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to assess cognitive disorders in HIV/AIDS patients, identify the prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), provide evidence that may be used for early diagnosis and treatment, and establish a baseline for follow-up studies. The setting for this study was Guangxi, a culturally and economically underdeveloped province located in southwestern China with a large minority community. Due to the specific geographic and cultural environment, Guangxi has the second highest HIV incidence in China. There have been no research or large epidemiologic studies exploring cognitive disorders in HIV/AIDS patients in Guangxi; therefore, the prevalence of HAND in patients is unknown. Thirteen tests from 12 reliable and valid neuropsychological instruments (the digit symbol test, trail making test, arithmetic scores, digit span, wood puzzle, immediate visual memory, visual memory, Stroop test, vocabulary fluency, conceptual fluency, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) were used to test and compare the cognitive functions and prevalence of HAND in 99 healthy individuals and 230 HIV/AIDS patients. Within the patient group, 114 were HIV-positive without cognitive impairment and 86 (37.39%) had HAND. Among them, 42 (18.27%) had HIV-related neurocognitive impairment (ANI), 25 (18.87%) had HIV-related mild neurocognitive disorder (MND), and 19 (8.26%) had HIV-associated dementia (HAD). These results may be used for future research, such as neuroimaging studies and risk factor analysis of HAND, and in the development of early diagnosis and treatment options for HAND patients.

Manifestaciones Neurológicas en Pacientes Ambulatorios con Diagnóstico de VIH Atendidos en el Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín.

“…La prevalencia de demencia asociada a VIH es del 5 % y está aumentando a nivel mundial [24]. El cuadro se caracteriza por ser crónico, progresivo, con deterioro cognitivo que debe afectar significativamente a las actividades de la vida diaria y la conducta [17].…”

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging of white matter integrity in patients with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders

“…The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection shows regional variations (1). Guangxi has the second-highest prevalence of patients with HIV and mortality because of HIV infection in China (2). The data from the China Centers for Disease Control Epidemic Information System reported that Guangxi had 85,576 cases of HIV infection and AIDS and 49,109 cases of death following HIV infection in December 2018.…”

Immunological and virologic outcomes of people living with HIV in Guangxi, China: 2012-2017

“…As one of the regions with the fastest growing HIV epidemic in China, Guangxi has reported a total of 124,282 HIV/AIDS cases by the end of 2017, indicating a 78.7% increase since June 2011 (69,548 HIV/AIDS cases) and placing Guangxi second among 31 Chinese provinces in terms of HIV seropositive cases [22, 23]. The HIV epidemic in Guangxi is largely characterized as a rural phenomenon with many PLWH being rural residents, having low socio-economic status, and being infected mainly through sexual contacts [24].…”