PURPOSE: The aim of this neurophysiological study was to monitor changes in the visual and cognitive function of HIV-infected patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: Eleven adult Czech HIV+ patients, with a mean age of 35 years and CD4 cell count ≥ 230 × 106 cells/L of blood at the time of enrollment, underwent four to six examinations over the course of 2.5 years to evaluate pattern-reversal and motion-onset visual evoked potentials (P-VEPs and M-VEPs), visually driven oddball event-related potentials (ERPs) and Montreal Cognitive Assessments. In addition to evaluating the intraindividual change in the observed parameters, we also compared patient data to data from eleven age- and gender-matched controls. RESULTS: We did not find any significant differences in P-VEPs between the patients and controls or in the paired comparison of the first and last visit. The only significant finding for P-VEPs was a linear trend in prolongation of the 20' P-VEP P100 peak time. In M-VEPs, we found a significant intergroup difference in the N160 peak time recorded during the first visit for peripheral M-VEPs only. During the last visit, all N160 peak times for patients differed significantly from those of the control group. The only intervisit difference close to the level of significance was for peripheral M-VEPs, which confirmed the trend analysis. No significant differences between patients and controls were found in the ERPs, but the P300 peak time showed a significant difference between the first and last visits, as confirmed by the trend. Patient reaction time was not significantly delayed at the first visit; however, it was prolonged with time, as confirmed by the trend. CONCLUSION: Our aim was to evaluate whether antiretroviral treatment in HIV+ patients is sufficient to preserve brain visual function. The optic nerve and primary visual cortex function tested by the P-VEPs seem to be preserved. The prolongation of the M-VEPs suggests an individually detectable decline in CNS function, but these changes did not show a progression during the follow-up. From a longitudinal perspective, the trends in peak time prolongation of the 20' P-VEP, peripheral M-VEP, ERP and reaction time suggest a faster decline than that caused by aging in healthy populations, as previously described in a cross-sectional study.

• Klíčová slova
• Event-related potentials (ERPs), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Motion-onset VEP, Pattern-reversal VEP, Visual evoked potentials (VEPs),
• MeSH
• antiretrovirové látky terapeutické užití   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• elektroretinografie MeSH
• evokované potenciály fyziologie   MeSH
• HIV infekce farmakoterapie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• kognice fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• longitudinální studie MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• počet CD4 lymfocytů MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• reakční čas fyziologie   MeSH
• vnímání pohybu fyziologie   MeSH
• zraková ostrost fyziologie   MeSH
• zrakové evokované potenciály fyziologie   MeSH
• zrakové korové centrum fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antiretrovirové látky MeSH