Background: According to population-based studies, microalbuminuria is associated with subsequent cognitive decline over a 4-6-year period, because of cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD). This prospective cross-sectional study (NCT02852772) was designed to evaluate whether a history of microalbuminuria is associated with subsequent cognitive decline in combined antiretroviral therapy (cART)-treated persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIVs).
Methods: From our computerized medical database, we identified 30 PLHIVs (median age 52 years), immunovirologically controlled on cART, who had microalbuminuria in 2008 and had undergone, between 2013 and 2015, a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment (NPA) including seven domains (cases): information-processing speed, motor skills, executive functions, attention/working memory, learning/memory, reasoning and verbal fluency.