Abstrakt

Psychiatry & Psychology Health 2019: Changes in cognitive function: comparison of cognitive function in HIV-infected and -uninfected individuals

Maede Sadat Etesami

Finding an effective treatment eradicating the HIV virus with no need for further treatment is the main focus but meanwhile the patients are having the chance of a longer life thanks to highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) and what is needed to be considered more seriously is the quality of this granted extra years, a longer life with no quality is more a burden to be endured. Although HAART has reduced the severity of the cognitive impairments caused by HIV virus but more mild forms of cognitive disorders remains prevalent. We examined 34 Iranian HIV-infected and 57 HIV-uninfected men and women of age 18 to 50 (M=33, SD=7) to compare the level of non-verbal learning, visual memory, planning, perception and divided attention, neglect and selective attention. In a multivariate and univariate covariance analysis, two group of HIV-infected and -uninfected samples were significantly different in all the examined domain of cognition after adjusting for age, intelligence, educational level, years of infection and years of being under HAART. Findings, consistent with previous international researches, indicated that HIV-infected participants had lower scores on eight of eight cognitive computerized tests in comparison with HIV-uninfected individuals. Results suggest that consideration of these cognitive challenges should be used to develop rehabilitation packages and psychosocial support for people living with HIV.