Impact of HIV on Cognitive Performance in Professional Drivers

Abstract

Background:The intellectually demanding modern workplace is often dependent on good cognitive health, yet there is little understanding of how neurocognitive dysfunction related to HIV presents in employed individuals working in high-risk vocations such as driving. HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment is also associated with poorer long-term cognitive, health, and employment outcomes.Setting:This study, set in Cape Town, South Africa, assessed the effects of HIV on neuropsychological test performance in employed male professional drivers.Method:We administered a neuropsychological test battery spanning 7 cognitive domains and obtained behavioral data, anthropometry, and medical biomarkers from 3 groups of professional drivers (68 men with HIV, 55 men with cardiovascular risk factors, and 81 controls). We compared the drivers' cognitive profiles and used multiple regression modeling to investigate whether between-group differences persisted after considering potentially confounding sociodemographic and clinical variables (ie, income, home language, depression, and the Framingham risk score).Results:Relative to other study participants, professional drivers with HIV performed significantly more poorly on tests assessing processing speed (P < 0.003) and attention and working memory (P = 0.018). Group membership remained a predictor of cognitive performance after controlling for potential confounders. The cognitive deficits observed in men with HIV were, however, largely characterized as being mild or asymptomatic. Consistent with this characterization, their relatively poor performance on neuropsychological testing did not generalize to self-reported impairment on activities of daily living.Conclusion:Drivers with HIV may be at risk of poorer long-term health and employment outcomes. Programs that monitor and support their long-term cognitive health are needed.

Variations in the sleep-related breathing disorder index on polysomnography between men with HIV and controls: a matched case-control study

“…Recently, a cross-sectional study was conducted in professional drivers. The finding showed that professional drivers with HIV performed significantly poorer neurocognitive functions than those with cardiovascular diseases and healthy controls, especially in processing speed, attention and working memory [ 30 ]. It is worth to examine that the effectiveness of early detection and early treatment of SRBDs in PLWH on preventing the risk of traffic accidents.…”

Sex Differences in the Cognitive Performance of a South African Cohort of People With HIV and Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder

“…[65][66][67][68] This battery of tests has been used extensively in studies of South African PWH. 67,69 The domains, tests, and outcome variables were: (…”

“… 62 We clustered tests into cognitive domains according to theoretical knowledge about the construct of each test 63 , 64 and according to standard practice in the field of HIV neuropsychology. 65 – 68 This battery of tests has been used extensively in studies of South African PWH. 67 , 69 …”

Cognitive Performance, as well as Depression, Alcohol Use, and Gender, predict Anti-Retroviral Therapy Adherence in a South African Cohort of People with HIV and Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder

“…The battery comprised 12 standardized neuropsychological tests, each of which assessed performance in one of seven cognitive domains commonly affected by HIV (Grant, 2008). This battery of tests has been widely used in South African research (e.g., [ 72 , 73 ]).…”