Longitudinal trajectories of neurocognitive test performance among individuals with perinatal HIV-infection and -exposure: adolescence through young adulthood

ABSTRACT

There are an estimated 2.1 million youth less than 15 years of age living with HIV globally (the majority perinatally HIV-infected [PHIV]) and millions more perinatally HIV-exposed uninfected (PHEU) youth who are expected to survive through adolescence and into adulthood. Transitioning from adolescence to young adulthood requires adaptation to more demanding social interactions, academic pressures, and individual responsibilities which place distinct demands on neurocognitive functions. This study examined longitudinal trajectories of neurocognitive test performance in the domains of processing speed (PS), working memory (WM), and executive functioning (EF) among PHIV and demographically similar PHEU from adolescence through young adulthood. Data for this paper come from four time points, spanning approximately 10 years, within the Child and Adolescent Self-Awareness and Health Study (CASAH). Youth age ranged from 15 to 29 years. Longitudinal linear mixed effect models were computed for each test. Few differences in performance were found on tests of EF and WM between PHIV and PHEU youth as they aged, though PHEU youth showed significantly better PS as they aged than PHIV youth. Future research is needed to understand these vulnerable youth’s neurocognitive trajectories as a function of HIV infection and -exposure, biological functions and psychosocial stressors.

KEYWORDS:

• Perinatal HIV
• adolescence
• longitudinal
• working memory
• executive functioning

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health under Grant R01 MH069133; PI: Mellins; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development under Grant R01 HD095266; PI: Robbins; the National Institute of Mental Health under Grant P30 MH043520; PI: Remien, and T32 MH19139; PI: Sandfort.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [grant number R01 HD095256]; National Institute of Mental Health [grant number P30 MH043520, R01 MH069133].