@article{7c6ec9031b80422abd298f1b5af7dd4a,
title = "HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in sub-Saharan Africa: A pilot study in Cameroon",
abstract = "Background: The disease burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is highest in sub-Saharan Africa but there are few studies on the associated neurocognitive disorders in this region. The objectives of this study were to determine whether Western neuropsychological (NP) methods are appropriate for use in Cameroon, and to evaluate cognitive function in a sample of HIV-infected adults.Methods: We used a battery of 19 NP measures in a cross-sectional study with 44 HIV+ adults and 44 demographically matched HIV- controls, to explore the validity of these NP measures in Cameroon, and evaluate the effect of viral infection on seven cognitive ability domains.Results: In this pilot study, the global mean z-score on the NP battery showed worse overall cognition in the HIV+ individuals. Significantly lower performance was seen in the HIV+ sample on tests of executive function, speed of information processing, working memory, and psychomotor speed. HIV+ participants with AIDS performed worse than those with less advanced HIV disease.Conclusions: Similar to findings in Western cohorts, our results in Cameroon suggest that HIV infection, particularly in advanced stages, is associated with worse performance on standardized, Western neurocognitive tests. The tests used here appear to be promising for studying NeuroAIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.",
author = "Kanmogne, {Georgette D.} and Kuate, {Callixte T.} and Cysique, {Lucette A.} and Fonsah, {Julius Y.} and Sabine Eta and Roland Doh and Njamnshi, {Dora M.} and Emilienne Nchindap and Franklin, {Donald R.} and Ellis, {Ronald J.} and McCutchan, {John A.} and Fidele Binam and Dora Mbanya and Heaton, {Robert K.} and Njamnshi, {Alfred K.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Fogarty International Center and the NIMH grant MH80611 (Dr. G Kanmogne, P.I.). We thank all patients and subjects for their collaboration and participation in this study. We are grateful to Mrs Pensy Rosalie for assistance in overall coordination of the research project in Cameroon, and Gina Eide for editorial support. Funding Information: This study is part of an ongoing project funded by the United States National Institute of Mental Health aimed at studying the neurological complications of HIV infection in Cameroon. The study was approved by the Cameroon National Ethics Committee, as well as the Institutional Review Board of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health delivered the administrative authorization for this research. This was a cross-sectional study comparing HIV-seropositive (HIV+) cases and HIV-seronegative (HIV-) controls. The HIV+ subjects were further classified as AIDS and non-AIDS based on clinical and immunological criteria: Center for Disease Control (CDC) clinical disease stage and CD4 T-lymphocyte counts [30,31]. All clinical and neuropsychological testing was performed in the Neurology Department of the Yaound{\'e} Central Hospital, Yaound{\'e}, Cameroon.",
year = "2010",
month = jul,
day = "13",
doi = "10.1186/1471-2377-10-60",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "10",
journal = "BMC Neurology",
issn = "1471-2377",
publisher = "BioMed Central",
}