Effects of anticholinergic medication use on brain integrity in persons living with HIV and persons without HIV

This study examined relationships between anticholinergic medication burden and brain integrity in people living with HIV (PLWH) and people without HIV (HIV−). Methods: Neuropsychological performance z-scores (learning, retention, executive function, motor/psychomotor speed, language domains, and global cognition), and neuroimaging measures (brain volumetrics and white matter fractional anisotropy) were analyzed in PLWH (n = 209) and HIV− (n = 95) grouped according to the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale (0 = no burden, 1–3 = low burden,>3 = high burden). Neuropsychological performance and neuroimaging outcomes were compared between HIV− and PLWH with high anticholinergic burden. Within a cohort of PLWH (n = 90), longitudinal change in ACB score over ∼2 years was correlated to the rate of change per month of study interval in neuropsychological performance and neuroimaging measures. Results: A higher number of anticholinergic medications and ACB was observed in PLWH compared with HIV− (P 
Source: AIDS - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BASIC SCIENCE Source Type: research