Neural dynamics of selective attention deficits in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder

Objective: To identify the neural markers of attention dysfunction in patients with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). Methods: Sixty participants, including 40 HIV-infected adults (half with HAND) and 20 demographically-matched controls performed a visual selective attention task while undergoing high-density magnetoencephalography (MEG). Neuronal activity related to selective attention processing was quantified and compared across the three groups, and correlated with neuro-psychological measures of attention and executive function. Spontaneous neural activity was also extracted from these attention-related cortical areas and examined with respect to HAND status. Results: HIV-infected participants with and without HAND exhibited behavioral selective attention deficits on the MEG task, as indicated by an increased flanker effect. Neuronal measures of flanker interference activity in the alpha and theta range revealed differential dynamics in attention-related brain areas ac...