Home › Research › Disparities
Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus-associated cognitive impairment in a group of Hispanic women at risk for neurological impairment
Wojna V, Skolasky RL, Hechavarría R, Mayo R, Selnes O, McArthur JC, Meléndez LM, Maldonado E et al.. Journal of neurovirology, 2006-10-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated cognitive impairment, a significant cause of morbidity, affects up to 30% of HIV-infected people. Its prevalence doubled as patients began to live longer after the introduction of highly active retroviral therapy. Women are now one of the fastest growing groups with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States and Puerto Rico, but relatively little is known about the prevalence and characteristics of cognitive dysfunction in HIV-infected women. In this study the authors investigated its prevalence in a group of HIV-1-seropositive Hispanic women in Puerto Rico. Forty-nine women with a nadir CD4 cell count of < or = 500 cells/mm3 were enrolled. Cognitive impairment was defined according to the American Academy of Neurology criteria for HIV dementia as modified to identify an "asymptomatic cognitively impaired" group. Observed prevalence was compared with prevalence in other populations in United States, Europe, and Australia. Differences in clinical markers and neuropsychological test performance among the cohort stratified by cognitive impairment were tested. Cognitive impairment was observed in 77.6% (38/49) of cases; asymptomatic cognitive impairment in 32.7% (16/49); minor cognitive motor disorders in 16.3% (8/49); and HIV-associated dementia (HAD) in 28.6% (14/49). Cognitive impairment did not correlate with age, CD4 cell count, viral load, or treatment modality. The cross-sectional prevalence of HIV-associated cognitive impairment was 77.6% (28.6% for HAD). These findings should enhance awareness of the prevalence of HIV-associated cognitive impairment, both clinically apparent and "asymptomatic," in Hispanic women and lead to improvements in areas such as education and compliance and to reevaluation of treatment interventions.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Wojna, V., Skolasky, R. L., Hechavarría, R., Mayo, R., Selnes, O., McArthur, J. C., et al. (2006). Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus-associated cognitive impairment in a group of Hispanic women at risk for neurological impairment. Journal of neurovirology. https://doi.org/10.1080/13550280600964576
Vancouver
Wojna V, Skolasky RL, Hechavarría R, Mayo R, Selnes O, McArthur JC, et al. Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus-associated cognitive impairment in a group of Hispanic women at risk for neurological impairment. Journal of neurovirology. 2006. doi:10.1080/13550280600964576. PMID: 17065128.
BibTeX
@article{wojna2006-17065128,
author = {Wojna, V. and Skolasky, R. L. and Hechavarría, R. and Mayo, R. and Selnes, O. and McArthur, J. C. and Meléndez, L. M. and Maldonado, E. and others},
title = {{Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus-associated cognitive impairment in a group of Hispanic women at risk for neurological impairment}},
journal = {Journal of neurovirology},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1080/13550280600964576},
pmid = {17065128},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/13550280600964576}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated cognitive impairment, a significant cause of morbidity, affects up to 30% of HIV-infected people.
- Observed prevalence was compared with prevalence in other populations in United States, Europe, and Australia.
- These findings should enhance awareness of the prevalence of HIV-associated cognitive impairment, both clinically apparent and "asymptomatic," in Hispanic women and lead to improvements in areas such as education and compliance and to reevaluation of treatment interventions.
Why it matters
This cross-sectional study found that 77.6% of a group of 49 HIV-positive Hispanic women in Puerto Rico had some form of cognitive impairment, including 28.6% with HIV-associated dementia. It is a small study in one population and does not test any treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Disparities →
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Effect size77.6%; 32.7%; 16.3%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neurovirology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Journal of NeuroVirology: journal h-index 109 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2006 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 89 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.0 citations a year over 22 year(s) since 2006 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Avindra Nath: h-index 103 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17065128) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Disparities
Also tagged “examination”
840 studies in the library carry the topic tag “examination”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 840 tagged studies.