relation: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/26722/
title: Prevalence of Neurocognitive Disorders and Potential Correlates in the Pitt Men’s Study Cohort
creator: Truebig, Janet
description: Background: While people living with HIV (PLWH) are able to enjoy relatively good health due to the advent of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), some aging HIV-positive individuals have demonstrated neurocognitive impairments which are not associated with other comorbidities. This condition, classified as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), has a spectrum of severity consisting of asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI), mild neurocognitive disorder (MND), and HIV-associated dementia (HAD).    Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of neurocognitive disorders within the Pitt Men’s Study cohort, and identify correlating variables that could be potential risk factors for the disease.  Methods: The Pitt Men’s Study is a sub-cohort of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, and is a prospective study of gay and bisexual men. Neuropsychological impairment is diagnosed through the use of an algorithm developed by the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, which classifies disease based on an individual’s scores in a series of neuropsychological function tests. SAS Statistical Software 9.4 was utilized for data analysis.   Results: There was no significant difference in frequency of neurocognitive disorders between HIV-negative and HIV-positive individuals. The rate of HAND in HIV-negative individuals was 31.89% while the rate in HIV-positive individuals was 31.82%. In individuals under 50 years old, ever having been infected with Hepatitis C virus was significantly higher in the neurocognitive disorder group than the normal group.   Conclusion: There is no evidence of HAND in the PMS cohort; rates of neurocognitive disorder are higher in the HIV-negative group than expected. The only significant risk factor for neurocognitive disorder found in the cohort was Hepatitis C virus infection in individuals under 50 years old.   Public Health Significance: Neurocognitive disorders have the potential to cause a reduction in quality of life. While there was no evidence of HAND in the PMS cohort, a large proportion of HIV-positive and HIV-negative MSM demonstrate neurocognitive disorders. This study may indicate a high prevalence of neurocognitive disorders in MSM due to an unknown risk factor. Further investigation is critical to identify risk factors of neurocognitive disorders.
date: 2016-06-29
type: University of Pittsburgh ETD
type: PeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
language: en
identifier: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/26722/1/Truebig_Thesis04_2016.pdf
identifier:   Truebig, Janet  (2016) Prevalence of Neurocognitive Disorders and Potential Correlates in the Pitt Men’s Study Cohort.  Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.    (Unpublished)