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HIV infected children likely to suffer cognitive impairment: study
Why is it in news?
- Recent study unveiled that Children infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have to endure a significant adverse impact on their neurodevelopment and cognitive functioning.
- Study reveals that HIV-infected children have lower neuropsychological test scores thus reflecting reduced memory span, attention deficit and decreased visual-motor coordination among other conditions.
Study outcomes
- Killer virus -
- HIV attacks the immune system.
- The virus is found in semen, blood, vaginal and anal fluids, and breast milk.
- The virus can be trans-mitted from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.
- According to the National Aids Control Organization (NACO), as of 2017, India had 2,14 million people living with HIV.
- The most affected population are people who inject drugs, transgender, gay men and commercial sex workers.
- Cognitive changes -
- The study concluded that all HIV infected children had lower neuropsychological test scores as compared to the control group.
- Study highlighted significant fluctuations in regions of the brain that are associated with auditory, language, sensory and motor functional networks of HIV infected children.
- Decline of mental processes has been commonly observed in HIV infected adults.
- Altered brain regions -
- These findings will facilitate early detection of structural and functional brain changes, allowing appropriate treatment and therapies to improve functional activities in children with immunity disorders.
Solution -
- Key to achieving overall growth in HIV infected children is a good diet, 100% medicine compliance and regular physical activity.
- Doctors said that such studies highlight the need for a holistic approach to HIV programmes.
- The emphasis should not only be on medication, but also nutritional, psychological and neurodevelopment support.
Source
The Hindu