“Association of Intracellular Microstructural and Neuropsychological Changes in HIV: A Pilot Validation of Trace Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging Using Radial Trajectories”
PI: Albert Thomas, PhD
HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HANDs), or brain problems related to HIV, remain common even though effective HIV treatments (antiviral therapy) are available. This highlights the need for better ways to detect early changes in the brain. We used a special type of non-invasive MRI technique, called magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), to study brain health in people living with HIV (PLWH).
We studied 16 PLWH and 15 people without HIV. We collected two sets of imaging data and used them to calculate how certain chemicals move through brain tissues. Thinking abilities and other aspects of brain performance were measured using something called neuropsychological region(domain)-specific deficit scores. To get a full picture of brain function, we also assessed depression and anxiety. In the subgroup of 15 men living with HIV, we looked at whether measures of how water and brain chemicals move through brain tissue were associated with scores in different areas of
cognitive function.
In this early investigation, we found differences in brain imaging measurements and levels of certain chemicals in specific brain regions. Some of these measurements were associated with performance in different areas of thinking and cognition. These results suggest that measurements of how water and brain chemicals move within the brain may help identify subtle brain changes and cognitive difficulties related to HIV. However, because this was a small preliminary study, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine whether these measurements can be used reliably as indicators of HIV-related brain changes.
To view the full article, please visit: https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15100669