Research Information System
Journal of Neurological Sciences, vol.34, no.4, pp.291-300, 2017 (SCI-Expanded)
Aim We aimed to test our hypothesis that electroencephalography (EEG) responses and electrodermal activity (EDA) in response to auditory stimuli in HIV/AIDS patients will differ to those of healthy individuals. Method Data was collected from 20 AIDS patients receiving anti retroviral treatment for an average duration of five years and 20 healthy individuals matched for age/sex. Participants were presented with auditory stimuli consisting of pure sound tones with 1000 Hz (non-target) and 2000 Hz (target) frequency. Frontal EEG and EDA recordings were taken using a biopotential amplifier system. Results P1, N1, P2, N2 (p<0.001) responses obtained from the frontal region to target stimuli were higher in HIV group; while the P3 response was higher in control group. The latencies of all responses to target stimuli were significantly delayed in HIV group compared to control group. In HIV group, amplitudes of P1, N2 and P3 responses to target stimuli were found to be higher than to non-target stimuli; N1 and P2 responses to non-target stimuli had higher amplitude. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate the effects of HIV on both the peripheral (EDA) and central nervous system (EEG). The differences in neuroelectrical activity found between HIV patients and healthy individuals can be concluded to be due to the direct or indirect effects of the virus and antiretroviral medication on neurons. The method of simultaneous monitoring of auditory ERP and EDA may contribute to the detection of subclinical neural deterioration in HIV patients.