The effects of varying degrees of HIV infection on the SCAN-A, ABR, and AMLR, in adults

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of HIV-infection on various aspects of auditory functioning. In order to do so, behavioral and electrophysiological tests of auditory function were conducted on three groups of subjects: (1) HIV-infected individuals diagnosed with AIDS, (2) asymptomatic, HIV-infected individuals who have not developed AIDS, and (3) HIV-negative subjects. Groups of HIV-infected individuals who met the study's eligibility criteria were made available through the University of Cincinnati Medical Center's Infectious Diseases Center.; All subjects underwent an audiological test battery consisting of the SCAN-A: a test for auditory processing disorders in adolescents and adults, the auditory brainstem response (ABR), and the auditory middle latency response (AMLR). Several statistical models were used to analyze the data and the principle findings were that: (1) both the AIDS and HIV-positive groups performed significantly poorer on the SCAN-A than the HIV-negative group, with the AIDS group performing significantly poorer than the HIV-infected group, (2) increased click rates resulted in accentuated prolongations in the absolute latencies of ABR waves III and V for the HIV-positive group, and (3) the AMLR did not differ significantly between the three studied groups.; The SCAN-A findings suggested that central auditory processing capabilities were compromised in the HIV-infected population as a function of severity of the disease state. The group by click interaction involving the HIV-positive group suggests that the ABR may be sensitive in detecting insidious central nervous system pathology in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients. The combined significant findings showed that various aspects of the central auditory system are compromised by HIV-infection, despite the absent of overt disease symptoms, suggesting that these tests may be sensitive in detecting insidious central nervous system manifestations related to HIV-infection.