Although the prevalence of distal sensory peripheral neuropathy decreased following initiation of cART in people living with in resource-limiting settings, better strategies are needed.
In utero exposure to efavirenz is associated with an increased risk for microcephaly among children who are HIV-exposed but uninfected.
The Warnings and Precautions section has been updated to address the potential for late-onset neurotoxicity, including ataxia and encephalopathy with efavirenz treatment.
Rates of HIV-associated dementia have decreased from approximately 50% in the pre-cART era to 2% currently. However, roughly 50% of patients treated with cART have the milder forms of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND).
Despite potent antiretroviral therapy, HIV-associated dementia results in significant morbidity and mortality.
For HIV-infected women receiving dolutegravir from the time of conception, 0.3 percent have offspring with neural-tube defects, representing a small but significant increase compared with other ART exposures.
Findings reinforce the importance of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV.
HIV-positive patients with virological suppression did not have different rates of aging-relating cognitive decline compared with HIV-negative patients.
HIV-positive individuals with higher alcohol levels performed worse on several cognitive tests, however alcohol was not the primary factor.
HIV patients had reduced brain volume and poorer cognitive performance.
