No evidence for accelerated ageing-related brain pathology in treated HIV: longitudinal neuroimaging results from the Comorbidity in Relation to AIDS (COBRA) project.

Abstract

Background Despite successful antiretroviral therapy, people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) experience higher rates of age-related morbidity, including abnormal brain structure, brain function, and cognitive impairment. This has raised concerns that PLWH may experience accelerated aging-related brain pathology. Methods We performed a multicenter longitudinal study of 134 virologically suppressed PLWH (median age, 56.0 years) and 79 demographically similar human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–negative controls (median age, 57.2 years). To measure cognitive performance and brain pathology, we conducted detailed neuropsychological assessments and multimodality neuroimaging (T1-weighted, T2-weighted, diffusion magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], resting-state functional MRI, spectroscopy, arterial spin labeling) at baseline and at 2 years. Group differences in rates of change were assessed using linear mixed effects models. Results One hundred twenty-three PLWH and 78 HIV-negative controls completed longitudinal assessments (median interval, 1.97 years). There were no differences between PLWH and HIV-negative controls in age, sex, years of education, smoking or alcohol use. At baseline, PLWH had poorer global cognitive performance (P .1). Cognitive performance was longitudinally stable in both groups. Conclusions We found no evidence that middle-aged PLWH, when receiving successful treatment, are at increased risk of accelerated aging-related brain changes or cognitive decline over 2 years