ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT/APP): Despite effective drug treatment, HIV may still persist in the brain and lead to cognitive problems.
But, tracking the changes to the brain’s white matter using MRI
scans can help spot the deadly virus, a new study said.
According to researchers, HIV has spread to the brain in around ten to 15 per cent of patients.
The findings, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, showed that patients whose brains showed definite signs of change in the white matter were 10 times more likely to have HIV in the brain than those with normal white matter appearances.
These changes in the brain — called diffuse white matter signal abnormalities — are linked to cognitive problems and can be triggered by inflammation in the brain caused by HIV infection.
“HIV treatments have come a long way, but patients whose HIV is suppressed by drugs can still have cognitive problems due to HIV related inflammation,” said Ravi Gupta Professor at University College London.
However, “Our new study shows that MRI scans could help to identify high-risk individuals for further follow-up tests,” Gupta said.
For the study, the team looked at data from 146 HIV patients
who were investigated for cognitive problems between 2011 and
2015.