Journal Article

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders at Moi teaching and referral hospital, Eldoret, Kenya

Mohamed, Amina Ali, Kinyanjui, Daniel, Oduor, Chrispine

2020

Overview

Background Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection causes a myriad of neurological complications including cognitive deficits referred to as HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND). With the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy, there has been an epidemiological shift in cognitive disorders with a decline in the more severe HIV-Associated Dementia (HAD) to an increase in the less severe HAND: Asymptomatic Neurocognitive Impairment (ANI) and HIV-associated Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MND). Central Nervous System (CNS) involvement in HIV interferes with cognitively demanding activities of daily living and hence a worse quality of life. Early diagnosis is delayed until symptoms are overt. Methods We conducted a cross sectional analytical study of HIV infected persons on antiretroviral therapy attending HIV clinic. A systematic random sampling was done to select 360 patients. An interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data while the CD4 count and viral load were retrieved from the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) database. Pearson’s Chi Square test was used to compare proportions while independent sample t- test was used to compare continuous variables between the patients diagnosed with HAND and those without HAND. Logistic regression model was used to assess the factors associated with HAND. Results The mean age of the study participants was 40.2 years. The overall prevalence of HAND was (81.1%) N  = 292. Mild HAND (ANI and MND) was present (78.6%) N  = 283, Severe HAND (HAD) (2.5%) N  = 9. The factors associated with HAND were older age OR: 1.06 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.10), male gender OR: 0.48 (95% CI: 0.24, 0.97), Advanced WHO clinical staging OR: 2.45 (95% CI: 1.20, 5.01) and a higher level of education; secondary/tertiary OR: 0.16 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.38); 0.11 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.35). Conclusion The prevalence of HAND in this study population was found to be high (81.1%). Older age and advanced WHO clinical staging were associated with an increased risk of hand while higher level of education and male gender were protective.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Activities of daily living / Age / Antiretroviral agents / Antiretroviral drugs / Antiretroviral therapy / Body mass index / CD4 antigen / Central nervous system / Cognition / Cognitive ability / Dementia / Dementia disorders / Dementias / Education / Epidemiology / Gender / Health aspects / Highly active antiretroviral therapy / HIV / HIV-associated dementia (HAD) / HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) / Human immunodeficiency virus / Infection / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mental disorders / Nervous system / Neurochemistry / Neurological complications / Neurological diseases / Neurology / Neurosurgery / Patients / Population studies / Quality of life / Questionnaires / Research Article / Sample size / Sampling techniques / Statistical sampling / Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) / Variables