Significant differences between verbal and non-verbal intellectual scales on a perinatally HIV-infected cohort: from pediatrics to young adults.

Abstract

Delayed neurodevelopment is a common outcome in perinatally HIV-infected children. Our aim was to assess the intellectual profile of our cohort, considering both the infection and socio-environmental related variables. A cross-sectional cohort study was undertaken at seven major hospitals in Spain belonging to the CoRISpeS cohort (n = 97). Patients were followed up according to a standard protocol. Intellectual measures, psychosocial profile and HIV infection-related data have been analysed. The average patient age was 15 years. The median CD4 cell percentage was 35% (1,59). Viral load was undetectable in 80% of the patients and 27% were on AIDS category; 38% of whom had encephalopathy. The average composite score of both crystallized intelligence (CI) and intelligence quotient (IQ) for the cohort was lower than that of the general population (p