| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Poster | | Title: Frontal white matter and gray matter integrity measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy predict different neuropsychological functions in HIV-infected individuals. | | Authors: Taylor MJ, Jernigan TL, Schweinsburg BC, Woods SP, Abramson IS, Clifford DB, Collier AC, Ellis RJ, Gamst AC, Gelman BB, Heaton RK, Letendre SL, Marcotte TD, Marra CM, McArthur JC, McCutchan JA, Morgello S, Simpson DM, Grant I | | Date: 02-06-2008 | | Abstract:HIV has been associated with a variable or “spotty”
pattern of neuropsychological impairment. Among the
most prominent deficits are slowing on motor and
psychomotor tasks, attention deficits, impairment of
executive functions, and inefficient learning of novel
material. The goal of this proton magnetic resonance
spectroscopy study was to test whether
neuropsychological dysfunction in HIV patients would be
differentially predicted by poorer neuronal integrity in
frontal white matter (FWM) and frontal gray matter (FGM).
Single-voxel MR spectroscopy was used to assess 238
HIV infected CHARTER participants, yielding
measurements of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in right FWM
and midline FGM as an indicator of neuronal integrity.
Higher FWM NAA (R2=.06, p<.0001) and FGM NAA (R2=.10,
p<.0001) significantly related to better global
neuropsychological performance (mean demographicallycorrected
T-score). When simultaneously predicting
global neuropsychological performance, the two regions
were each independent predictors (R2=.13, p<.0001).
Regression analyses were conducted to examine the
relative contributions of gray and white matter NAA
predicting performance in different NP domains.
Executive function, learning, recall, and motor function
were significantly predicted by gray matter integrity (FGM
NAA) without a significant additional contribution of white
matter integrity. Working memory was significantly
predicted by white matter integrity alone (FWM NAA),
while speed of information processing was significantly
predicted by integrity of both regions. These results
suggest some differential predictive ability of damage to
cortical gray and cerebral white matter in those infected
with HIV, and that the brain tissues affected may account
for the “spotty” cognitive deficits often associated with
this disease. |
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