Putamen hypertrophy in nondemented patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and cognitive compromise.
BACKGROUND
Documented death and dysfunction of basal ganglia cells in patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suggest that the virus may cause structural compromise to these regions.


OBJECTIVE
To examine subcortical volumes in nondemented patients seropositive for HIV (HIV+) by means of a novel automated neuroanatomic morphometric analysis tool, and to investigate relationships among cognitive function, immune health, and subcortical volumes.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of subcortical morphometry and cognitive function conducted at the Boston University Center for Memory and Brain and the Massachusetts General Hospital Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging.


METHODS
Twenty-two nondemented HIV+ patients and 22 age- and education-matched healthy control participants.


METHODS
Subcortical segmentation volumes, neuropsychological performance, and immunological variables.


RESULTS
Nondemented HIV+ patients demonstrated relative and isolated putamen hypertrophy compared with control participants. Putamen volume enlargement in HIV+ patients was related to motor slowing and immune status, such that higher CD4 lymphocyte levels were associated with larger putamen volumes. There were no other subcortical volume differences between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that basal ganglia hypertrophy accompanies HIV-related mild cognitive compromise. These findings may represent a structural imaging parallel to functional imaging studies demonstrating basal ganglia hypermetabolism in HIV+ patients with mild cognitive compromise and early HIV-associated brain disease.
Castelo
J Mimi Boer
JM
Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Memory and Brain, Boston University, 2 Cummington St, Room 109, Boston, MA 02215, USA. mboer@bu.edu.
Courtney
Maureen G
MG
Melrose
Rebecca J
RJ
Stern
Chantal E
CE
D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000473:pathology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011699:Putamen / Q000473:pathology*