Cortical sources of resting-state EEG rhythms are abnormal in naïve HIV subjects.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that cortical sources of resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms show peculiar frequency/spatial features in naïve human subjects with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) compared to healthy control subjects.


METHODS
Resting-state eyes-closed EEG data were recorded in 18 naïve HIV subjects (15 males; mean age 39 years±2.0 standard error of mean, SEM) and in 18 age-matched cognitively normal subjects (15 males; 38.7years±2.2 SEM). EEG rhythms of interest were delta (2-4Hz), theta (4-8Hz), alpha1 (8-10Hz), alpha2 (10-12Hz), beta1 (13-20Hz) and beta2 (20-30Hz). Cortical EEG sources were estimated by normalised, low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA).


RESULTS
Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE) score was lower in HIV (26.5 ± 0.7 SEM) than in healthy (29.2 ± 0.5 SEM) subjects (p<0.05). Central and parietal delta sources showed higher amplitude in the HIV than in control subjects. Furthermore, topographically widespread, cortical sources of resting-state alpha rhythms were lower in amplitude in HIV subjects than in control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results suggest that topography and frequency of the cortical sources of resting-state EEG rhythms can distinguish groups of HIV and control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
These results encourage future studies in an enlarged cohort of HIV subjects to test the hypothesis that the present methodological approach provides clinically useful information for an early detection of the effect of HIV infection on brain and cognitive functions.
University of Foggia, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Foggia, Italy. c.babiloni@unifg.it
Claudio
C
Babiloni
Fabrizio
F
Vecchio
Paola
P
Buffo
Paolo
P
Onorati
Chiara
C
Muratori
Stefano
S
Ferracuti
Paolo
P
Roma
Michele
M
Battuello
Nicole
N
Donato
Paola
P
Pellegrini
Francesco
F
Di Campli
Laura
L
Gianserra
Elisabetta
E
Teti
Antonio
A
Aceti
Paolo M
PM
Rossini
Alfredo
A
Pennica
D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D001611:Beta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003700:Delta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology