Hemophilia growth and development study: relationships between neuropsychological, neurological, and MRI findings at baseline.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on children's development by identifying neurological and environmental variables associated with neuropsychological measures of cognitive development in HIV-seronegative (HIV-) and HIV-seropositive (HIV+)children and adolescents with hemophilia.


METHODS
Participants (N = 298; 60% HIV+) were males ages 7-19 years enrolled in the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study (HGDS). Least squares modeling was used to determine whether there was a difference at baseline in mean neuropsychological test scores by HIV status, age, and neurological baseline findings, adjusting for selected environmental and medical history variables.


RESULTS
The participants were within age expectations for general intelligence. Variables associated with lowered neuropsychological performance included academic problems, coordination and/or gait abnormalities, parents' education, and previous head trauma.


CONCLUSIONS
Hemophilia-related morbidity has a subtle adverse influence on cognitive performance. HIV infection was not associated with neuropsychological dysfunction in this group even when MRI abnormalities were present.
Sirois
P A
PA
Tulane University Medical Center, Section of Hematology/Medical Oncology, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. psirois@tmcpop
Usner
D W
DW
Hill
S D
SD
Mitchell
W G
WG
Bale
J F
JF
Loveland
K A
KA
Stehbens
J A
JA
Donfield
S M
SM
Maeder
M A
MA
Amodei
N
N
Contant
C F
CF
Nelson
M D
MD
Willis
J K
JK
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology