A Central Auditory Test reveals differences between drug treatment regimens in adults living with HIV

Abstract

Objective

This exploratory study examined whether central auditory tests show differences between people living with HIV (PLWH) treated with two predominant antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) regimens.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Study Sample

253 PLWH (mean age 39.8 years) from the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre, China.

Methods

The Hearing in Noise Test speech reception threshold (SRT) assessed central auditory function and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) assessed cognition. The relationship between ART regimen and SRT was evaluated with multivariable linear regression incorporating age, HIV duration, and peripheral hearing ability. Multivariable logistic regression was used to ascertain if SRT and ART regimen predicted MoCA impairment.

Results

The two predominant ART regimens differed by one drug (zidovudine or tenofovir). Participants taking the zidovudine-containing regimen had poorer SRT performance (p=.012) independent of age and hearing thresholds. MoCA scores did not differ between drug regimens, but a negative relationship was found between SRT and MoCA impairment (p=.048).

Conclusions

ART regimens differed in their association with central auditory test performance likely reflecting neurocognitive changes in PLWH taking the zidovudine-containing regimen. Central auditory test performance also marginally predicted cognitive impairment, supporting further assessment of central auditory tests to detect neurocognitive deficits in PLWH.

Keywords:

• HIV
• antiretroviral drug therapy
• speech-in-noise
• central auditory pathway
• cognition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by [grant R01DC014369] from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. This work was also support by [grant R01NS108809-05] from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.