After a patient is initially infected with HIV, damage to brain volume and cortical thickness continues to worsen until a patient begins anti-retroviral treatment, highlighting the importance of treating HIV patients sooner, according to a paper published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
"We knew HIV could cause neurological damage, but we did not know it happened so early in the infection," said co-senior paper author Serena Spudich, MD. "The findings emphasize the importance of identifying infected people early and treating them so we can halt its progression."
The researchers analyzed MRI data from 65 HIV-positive patients who Dr. Spudich had longitudinally studied. The analysis revealed the longer infected individuals went before starting anti-retroviral treatment, the more damage the researchers found in numerous brain areas.
Approximately 36 million people live with HIV. However, less than 50 percent of HIV patients have access to combination anti-retroviral treatment, which can significantly extend their lifespan.
The study found longer treatment delays led to greater volume loss in the thalamus, caudate and cerebellum, and to greater the cortical thinning in the frontal and temporal lobes and cingulate cortex.
However, the study found when patients started combination retroviral treatment, the volume changes in these regions halted, and cortical thickness slightly increased in the frontal and temporal lobe.