TITLE:
Neurocognitive Profile of People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Initiating Treatment in Kinshasa in the Dolutegravir Era, Democratic Republic of Congo
AUTHORS:
Candide About Kabamba, Berry Ikolango Bongenya, Jocelyn Ewuti Nonga, Lambert Omombo Losenga, Noëlla Maketi Dikati, Thérèse Kasaka Ntumba, Grace Ipaya Booto, Rosalie Djamba Dembo, Stéphanie Mauwa Selenge, Benoit Obel Kabengele, Guy Makila Mabe Bumoko, Marie-Thérèse Ayane Safi Sombo, Erick Ntambwe Kamangu
KEYWORDS:
IHDS, Dolutegravir Initiation, Kinshasa, Neurological Profile, PLHIV
JOURNAL NAME:
Neuroscience and Medicine,
Vol.15 No.1,
January
15,
2024
ABSTRACT: Context: Antiretroviral therapies improve the prognosis of NeuroAIDS contrasting
with a high frequency of Minor Neurocognitive Disorders (MND) even in aviremic
subjects. Objective: The objective of this study is to present the
neurological and cognitive profile of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) initiating
antiretroviral treatment in Kinshasa in the era of Dolutegravir (DTG). Methods: This is a multicenter, cross-sectional study with a descriptive aim carried out
in 16 HIV Outpatient Treatment Centers (OTC) in Kinshasa from October 4, 2021
to February 15, 2022. The International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) correlated
with the Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale facilitated the categorization
of NeuroCognitive Disorders (NCD) of PLHIV evaluated after carrying out a summary
neurological examination. Results: Of the 96 patients recruited, 56.3%
were women with a sex ratio of 0.68. The average age was 40.1 ± 12.1 years. The
secondary education level was the majority at 64.6%. Malaria (44.8%) and
tuberculosis (32.3%) were more common as opportunistic infections. They were
alcoholics in (30.2%). Their history was heart disease (15.6%), high blood
pressure (18.8%); drug abuse (10.4%). The IHDS score was light in 55.2% of
cases. The correlation between IHDS/IADL watches asymptomatic
neurocognitive impairments (ANI) in 77.1%, almost all of subjects are found with normal overall functioning (94.8%) and a disturbed neurological
examination in 53.1% of cases with a predominance of motor impairments in
79.1%. Conclusion: In view of these results, early and systematic
screening of NCD and associated factors remains necessary in our context.