Event-Related Brain Potential Differences in Attentional Processing in HIV Positive Subjects.

摘要

This study assessed the cognitive performance and brain potentials of a pilot group of subjects infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in an attention-demanding task, in order to understand whether HIV alters attentional processes. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded from both HIV-infected (HIV+) and healthy control subjects while attending a sequence of tones in one ear and ignoring another sequence in the opposite ear. The subject's task was to detect target tones embedded in the attended sequence. ERPs elicited to the target tones by the HIV+ group did not have P300 components in them. (P300 is considered to index mental activity used during target detection.) Furthermore, the HIV+ subjects detected fewer targets (48%) than the control subjects (71%). Also, ERPs elicited to nontarget tones by the HIV+ group showed abnormal changes in the waveform at about 500 milliseconds suggesting a delay in the completion of attentional activation. Although the results need to be replicated with a larger group, they suggest that an objective, non-invasive method of evaluating changes in the attentional capabilities of HIV+ personnel is feasible.... Electrophysiology, Attention, Event-related Potentials, Human Immunodeficiency Virus.