Neurocognitive Complications of HIV Infection in Low-Income Countries

There is a paucity of information on neurocognitive dysfunction in individuals with HIV in resource-limited regions, despite the fact that these areas have the greatest burden of infection. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) remains a common complication of HIV despite the use of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). HAND is a major cause of morbidity of HIV+ individuals and is estimated to be the most prevalent form of neurocognitive impairment worldwide in young adults. This finding has drastic implications for the productivity and social engagement of young adults in the development of industry, education, and healthcare, which is particularly relevant in low-income countries. Building an infrastructure to examine the neurological and neuropsychological characteristics of HIV+ individuals in resource-limited settings (RLS) can advance the understanding of the unique contributing factors of HIV-1 clades in these regions of high prevalence, improve neurological monitoring, explore the CNS HIV reservoir, and provide key information on prevention/interventions to help manage/improve these neurological and neuropsychological complications.