Volumetric cerebral changes in patients with HIV/AIDS using voxel-based morphometry in magnetic resonance images

Abstract

The patients with HIV/aids have been object of multiple researches because of the neurological complications they develop during the disease. With images of the brain acquired from magnetic resonance is possible to obtain the volumetric values of the brain area in these patients, doing a voxel-based morphometry. Fourteen magnetic resonance images were acquired from HIV/aids patients (n = 14), and the results were compared with fourteen healthy controls (n = 14). Measures of the volume of the brain using voxel-based morphometry were assessed, comparatively, from the gray matter, white matter, caudate nucleus, hippocampus and corpus callosum. Other variables, as age, were taken into consideration. In conclusion, there is a statistical significant difference in the total cerebral volume (p=0.028) of patients with HIV/aids in comparison with healthy controls. Even though, further studies, and analysis with other variables are needed to establish the behavior of the brain volume of individuals with HIV/aids.