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Fotheringham L, Lawson RA, Urasa S, Boshe J, Mukaetova-Ladinska EB, Rogathi J, Howlett W, Dekker MCJ, Gray WK, Evans J, Walker RW, Makupa PC, Paddick SM. Neuropsychological tests associated with symptomatic HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in a cohort of older adults in Tanzania. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38766814 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617724000201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) prevalence is expected to increase in East Africa as treatment coverage increases, survival improves, and this population ages. This study aimed to better understand the current cognitive phenotype of this newly emergent population of older combination antiretroviral therapy (cART)-treated people living with HIV (PLWH), in which current screening measures lack accuracy. This will facilitate the refinement of HAND cognitive screening tools for this setting. METHOD This is a secondary analysis of 253 PLWH aged ≥50 years receiving standard government HIV clinic follow-up in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. They were evaluated with a detailed locally normed low-literacy neuropsychological battery annually on three occasions and a consensus panel diagnosis of HAND by Frascati criteria based on clinical evaluation and collateral history. RESULTS Tests of verbal learning and memory, categorical verbal fluency, visual memory, and visuoconstruction had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve >0.7 for symptomatic HAND (s-HAND) (0.70-0.72; p < 0.001 for all tests). Tests of visual memory, verbal learning with delayed recall and recognition memory, psychomotor speed, language comprehension, and categorical verbal fluency were independently associated with s-HAND in a logistic mixed effects model (p < 0.01 for all). Neuropsychological impairments varied by educational background. CONCLUSIONS A broad range of cognitive domains are affected in older, well-controlled, East African PLWH, including those not captured in widely used screening measures. It is possible that educational background affects the observed cognitive impairments in this setting. Future screening measures for similar populations should consider assessment of visual memory, verbal learning, language comprehension, and executive and motor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Fotheringham
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - Rachael A Lawson
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sarah Urasa
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
| | - Judith Boshe
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
| | | | - Jane Rogathi
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
| | - William Howlett
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
| | - Marieke C J Dekker
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
| | - William K Gray
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields, UK
| | | | - Richard W Walker
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields, UK
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Philip C Makupa
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
- Mawenzi Regional Referral Hospital, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
| | - Stella-Maria Paddick
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, Gateshead, UK
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Mutola S, Gómez-Olivé FX, Ng N. The path between socioeconomic inequality and cognitive function: A mediation analysis based on the HAALSI cohort in rural South Africa. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1011439. [PMID: 36992876 PMCID: PMC10040802 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1011439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundSocioeconomic position (SEP) strongly predicts late-life cognitive health, yet the pathways between SEP and cognitive function remain unclear. This study assessed whether and to what extent the association between SEP and cognitive function in the adult population in rural South Africa is mediated by some health conditions, behavioral factors, and social capital factors.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we used data from the 2014–15 “Health and Aging Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa” (HAALSI) cohort, including 5,059 adults aged 40+ years from the Agincourt sub-district in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. SEP, the independent variable, was measured based on ownership of household goods. Cognitive function, the dependent variable, was assessed using questions related to time orientation and immediate and delayed word recall. We used the multiple-mediation analysis on 4125 individuals with complete values on all variables to assess the mediating roles of health conditions (hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and disability), behavioral factors (leisure physical activity, alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking), and social capital factors (community's willingness to help, trust, sense of safety, and social network contact) in the association between SEP and cognitive function.ResultsCompared to adults in the poorest wealth quintile, those in the richest wealth quintile had better cognition (β = 0.903, p < 0.001). The mediation analysis revealed that health conditions mediated 20.7% of the total effect of SEP on cognitive function. In comparison, 3.3% was mediated by behavioral factors and only 0.7% by social capital factors. In the multiple-mediator model, 17.9% of the effect of SEP on cognitive function was jointly mediated by health conditions, behavioral factors, and social capital factors.ConclusionLow socioeconomic position is a significant factor associated with poor cognitive function among adults aged 40 years and above in South Africa. Health conditions mainly mediate the effects between SEP and cognitive function. Therefore, actions to prevent and control chronic health conditions can serve as the entry point for intervention to prevent poor cognitive function among people with low socioeconomic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sianga Mutola
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - F. Xavier Gómez-Olivé
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nawi Ng
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Nawi Ng
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Kohler IV, Kämpfen F, Bandawe C, Kohler HP. Cognition and Cognitive Changes in a Low-Income Sub-Saharan African Aging Population. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 95:195-212. [PMID: 37522209 PMCID: PMC10588811 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognition and its age-related changes remain vastly understudied in low-income countries (LICs), despite evidence suggesting that cognitive decline among aging low-income populations is a rapidly increasing disease burden often occurring at younger ages as compared to high-income countries (HICs). OBJECTIVE We examine patterns of cognition among men and women, 45 + years old, living in rural Malawi. We analyze how key socioeconomic characteristics predict levels of cognition and its changes as individuals get older. METHODS Utilizing the Mature Adults Cohort of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH-MAC) collected during 2012-2017, we estimate standard regression models to analyze predictors of the age- and sex-specific levels and longitudinal changes in cognition. Cognition is assessed with a screening instrument that is adapted to this low-literacy context and measures different domains such as language, attention, or executive functioning. RESULTS Women have lower levels of cognition than men, a pattern in stark contrast to findings in HICs. Schooling and socioeconomic status increase the probability of having consistently high performance during the cognitive assessment. Cognitive decline accelerates with age and is detectable already at mid-adult ages (45-55 years). Despite lower levels of cognitive function observed among women, the pace of decline with age is similar for both genders. CONCLUSION Women are particularly affected by poor cognition in this context. The study emphasizes the importance of prioritizing cognitive health and research on cognition among older individuals in sub-Saharan Africa LICs, to which relatively little health care resources continue to be allocated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana V Kohler
- Population Studies Center and Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Chiwoza Bandawe
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Hans-Peter Kohler
- Population Aging Research Center and Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Meyer AC, Njamnshi AK, Gisslen M, Price RW. Neuroimmunology of CNS HIV Infection: A Narrative Review. Front Neurol 2022; 13:843801. [PMID: 35775044 PMCID: PMC9237409 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.843801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This short review provides an overview of the interactions of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV), immune and inflammatory reactions, and CNS injury over the course of infection. Systemic infection is the overall driver of disease and serves as the “platform” for eventual CNS injury, setting the level of immune dysfunction and providing both the HIV seeding and immune-inflammatory responses to the CNS. These systemic processes determine the timing of and vulnerability to HIV-related neuronal injury which occurs in a separate “compartment” with features that parallel their systemic counterparts but also evolve independently. Direct CNS HIV infection, along with opportunistic infections, can have profound neurological consequences for the infected individual. HIV-related CNS morbidities are of worldwide importance but are enhanced by the particular epidemiological, socioeconomic and environmental factors that heighten the impact of HIV infection in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Claire Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alfred Kongnyu Njamnshi
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Yaoundé I, Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Magnus Gisslen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Richard W. Price
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Richard W. Price
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Soo CC, Farrell MT, Tollman S, Berkman L, Nebel A, Ramsay M. Apolipoprotein E Genetic Variation and Its Association With Cognitive Function in Rural-Dwelling Older South Africans. Front Genet 2021; 12:689756. [PMID: 34721516 PMCID: PMC8551631 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.689756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Apolipoprotein E (APOE) 𝜀4 allele carrier status is well known for its association with an increased likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but its independent role in cognitive function is unclear. APOE genetic variation is understudied in African populations; hence, this cross-sectional study in a rural South African community examined allele and genotype frequencies, and their associations with cognitive function. Cognitive function was assessed using two different screening methods to produce a total cognition score and four domain-specific cognition scores for verbal episodic memory, executive function, language, and visuospatial ability. Cognitive phenotype and APOE genotype data were used to determine whether APOE variation was significantly associated with cognitive function in this population. Observed allele frequencies for 1776 participants from the HAALSI study [age 40–80years (mean=56.19); 58.2% female] were 58.1% (𝜀3), 25.4% (𝜀4) and 16.5% (𝜀2). Allele distributions were similar to the African super population, but different from all non-African super populations from the 1,000 Genomes Project. The 𝜀3 homozygous genotype was most common (34.9%) and used as the base genotype for comparison in regression models. Four models were tested for each of the five cognitive phenotypes to explore association of APOE variation with cognitive function. In the first model assessing association with all genotypes for all individuals, marginally significant associations were observed for 𝜀2 homozygotes where executive function scored higher by ~0.5 standard deviations (p=0.037, SE=0.23), and for 𝜀3/𝜀4 heterozygotes where visuospatial ability scores were lower (p=0.046, SE=0.14). These did not survive correction for multiple testing. Regional African population differences were observed at the APOE locus. Marginally, significant associations between APOE genotype, and executive function and visuospatial ability indicate the need for larger studies to better examine these associations in African populations. Furthermore, longitudinal data could shed light on APOE genetic association with rate of change, or decline, in cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra C Soo
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Meagan T Farrell
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Stephen Tollman
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lisa Berkman
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Almut Nebel
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michèle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Mwangala PN, Mabrouk A, Wagner R, Newton CRJC, Abubakar AA. Mental health and well-being of older adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e052810. [PMID: 34551953 PMCID: PMC8461287 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In this systematic review, we aimed to summarise the empirical evidence on common mental disorders (CMDs), cognitive impairment, frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people living with HIV aged ≥50 years (PLWH50 +) residing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Specifically, we document the prevalence and correlates of these outcomes. DESIGN, DATA SOURCES AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA The following online databases were systematically searched: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase and Scopus up to January 2021. English-language publications on depression, anxiety, cognitive function, frailty and quality of life among PLWH50+ residing in SSA were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS We extracted information, including study characteristics and main findings. These were tabulated, and a narrative synthesis approach was adopted, given the substantial heterogeneity among included studies. RESULTS A total of 50 studies from fifteen SSA countries met the inclusion criteria. About two-thirds of these studies emanated from Ethiopia, Uganda and South Africa. Studies regarding depression predominated (n=26), followed by cognitive impairment (n=13). Overall, PLWH50+ exhibited varying prevalence of depression (6%-59%), cognitive impairments (4%-61%) and frailty (3%-15%). The correlates of CMDs, cognitive impairment, frailty and HRQoL were rarely investigated, but those reported were sociodemographic variables, many of which were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS This review documented an increasing number of published studies on HIV and ageing from SSA. However, the current evidence on the mental and well-being outcomes in PLWH50+ is inadequate to characterise the public health dimension of these impairments in SSA, because of heterogeneous findings, few well-designed studies and substantial methodological limitations in many of the available studies. Future work should have sufficiently large samples of PLWH50+, engage appropriate comparison groups, harmonise the measurement of these outcomes using a standardised methodology to generate more robust prevalence estimates and confirm predictors. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42020145791.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Nzivo Mwangala
- Department of Clinical Research (Neurosciences), KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- University of the Witwatersrand School of Public Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adam Mabrouk
- Department of Clinical Research (Neurosciences), KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Ryan Wagner
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parkton, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Charles R J C Newton
- Department of Clinical Research (Neurosciences), KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Amina A Abubakar
- Department of Clinical Research (Neurosciences), KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Public Health, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
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Components of metabolic syndrome associated with lower neurocognitive performance in youth with perinatally acquired HIV and youth who are HIV-exposed uninfected. J Neurovirol 2021; 27:702-715. [PMID: 34524627 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-021-01005-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components [abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides (TG), low HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure (BP), and impaired fasting glycemia (IFG)] with neurocognitive impairment in youth with perinatally acquired HIV (YPHIV) or who are perinatally HIV-exposed uninfected (YPHEU). This was an observational study with a comparison group of 350 YPHIV and 68 YPHEU ages 10-19 years. Youth with MetS components measured between 1 year before and 3 months after a baseline neurocognitive assessment (Wechsler Intelligence Scale) were selected from the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS). A sub-group completed another assessment 3 years later. We assessed the association of each baseline MetS component with five standardized neurocognitive indices at baseline and changes in indices over time. At baseline, 15% of YPHIV and 18% of YPHEU met criteria for ≥ 2 MetS components. Among YPHIV, there was no association between MetS components and neurocognitive indices at baseline; however, over time, elevated baseline BP was associated with a greater decrease in mean Perceptual Reasoning scores (-4.3;95%CI: -8.8,0.3) and ≥ 2 MetS components with a greater decrease in mean Processing Speed scores (-5.1;95%CI: -9.4, -0.8). Among YPHEU, elevated TG was associated with lower mean Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, and Full-scale IQ scores at baseline, and IFG with lower mean Verbal Comprehension scores. Components of MetS in YPHIV (elevated BP) and YPHEU (elevated TG and IFG) were associated with lower neurocognitive performance index scores. Studies to elucidate how modifying metabolic risk factors early in life may improve neurocognitive outcomes in this population are warranted.
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