AIDS (Disease) in children

The P300 component of the auditory event-related potential waveform was investigated in control children and two groups of HIV-infected children (asymptomatic and symptomatic), aged five to seven, under combinations of two interstimulus interval (ISI) rates (1 and 2 sec) and two target probability rates (.2 and.5). No group differences were found under the different combinations of ISI and target probability, for either P3a amplitude and latency, or P3b amplitude and latency. Although the present study was not able to distinguish between-groups by manipulating the target presentation rate, there were several within-group effects on P3a latency that were dependant upon the specific clinical or control group. The general findings for the study were that as the target presentation rates increased, P3a latencies increased.

The P300 component of the auditory event-related potential waveform was investigated in two groups of HIV positive children (symptomatic and asymptomatic) who were compared to HIV negative relatives. Results demonstrated the expected increased latencies of the P3b component in the symptomatic group, but no P3a latency differences. Amplitude measures of P3a and P3b showed no group differences. However, the symptomatic children had relatively larger P3a amplitudes whereas the asymptomatic children had a larger P3b. Difference measures (P3b minus P3a) revealed a significant difference across groups. Discussion focuses on three interrelated issues: (1) the cognitive mechanisms which could account for the current findings, (2) the relevance of a symptomatic/asymptomatic distinction and a P3a/P3b distinction for the purposes of clinical research, and (3) the clinical implications of these findings.