New findings on brain volume changes in children exposed to, but unifected with, HIV
In the week of the 25th International AIDS Conference a highly relevant study has just been published by NI researchers in Open Forum Infectious Diseases (Volume 11, Issue 7), entitled: 'Subcortical brain volumes and neurocognitive function in children with perinatal HIV exposure: a population-based cohort study in South Africa.'
Catherine Wedderburn, Nynke Groenewold, Annerine Roos, Dan Stein and Kirsty Donald (among others) show that children who are HIV-exposed and uninfected had smaller subcortical brain volumes, notably in the basal ganglia and hippocampal regions, compared to HIV-unexposed children. Volumes were associated with maternal antenatal viral load and CD4 and correlated with early child language development.
A, All subcortical structures. B, Individual structures with significant differences between children who are HIV-exposed and uninfected and HIV-unexposed at 2–3 y. Dark blue: putamen; dark green: hippocampus. C, Detailed view of the basal ganglia.