The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status as a screening strategy for HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders

ABSTRACT

HIV-infected people are at risk for neurocognitive impairment (HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders – HAND). To evaluate whether the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), a widely used neurocognitive screening tool, could be a valid instrument for HAND identification, we evaluated 166 HIV-infected subjects. Our results showed that 96 (57.8%) HIV-infected scored RBANS Total Index Score <85 (at least one SD below the normal), 12 (7.2%) of them scored RBANS Total Index Score <70 (at least 2 SD below the normal, indicating a possible HIV-Associated Dementia). The more compromised areas were Immediate and Delayed Memory, and Attention. In the group with RBANS Total Index Score <85, there were significantly lower scores of Mini Mental State Examination (P = 0.0008), Clock Drawing Test (P = 0.0015) and higher score of Geriatric Depression Scale (P = 0.02) compared to the RBANS Total Index Score ≥85 group. Using a stepwise logistic regression, considering RBANS Total Index Score as dependent variable, we found a positive interaction with tenofovir/emtricitabine assumption (P = 0.027), Clock Drawing Test (P = 0.0125) and educational level (P = 0.0054). Being the viro-immunological markers not capable of predicting cognitive decline in HIV-infected individuals, our data suggest that RBANS may be a valid tool for the early identification of HIV-related cognitive impairment.

KEYWORDS:

• RBANS (Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status)
• HAND (HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders)
• ANI (Asymptomatic Neurocognitive Impairment)
• MND (Mild Neurocognitive Dementia)
• HAD (HIV-Associated Dementia)

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank ViiV Healthcare for the support to the development of this study.

Disclosure statement

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