Neurodevelopment and HIV/AIDS

描述（由申请人提供）：艾滋病毒/艾滋病流行病是全球社会面临的最大人道主义和健康挑战之一。 撒哈拉以南非洲的艾滋病毒/艾滋病流行病导致孤儿人数激增，儿童艾滋病毒/艾滋病流行病迅速蔓延。 美国和欧洲的研究表明，围产期HIV感染的一个主要后果是对大脑发育的重大影响，以及随后对发育里程碑的实现和维持的重大影响。 在未来几十年，艾滋病毒很可能成为撒哈拉以南非洲地区神经发育迟缓的最常见原因。 尽管80%以上的儿童艾滋病毒感染发生在非洲，但艾滋病毒/艾滋病对非洲儿童健康的影响仍然缺乏记录。 采用抗逆转录病毒疗法不仅会延长儿童的存活时间，而且会对儿童及其家庭的社会和身体功能产生深刻影响，并将儿童艾滋病毒/艾滋病从一种急性疾病转变为一种慢性疾病，需要采取从出生到上学年龄的全面护理办法。 艾滋病毒流行病不仅影响到受艾滋病毒感染的儿童，而且使数百万儿童易受伤害。 父母患病标志着家庭开始受到侵蚀，孩子的情感和物质生活开始受到创伤。 由于教育机会是弱势儿童“安全网”方案的关键组成部分，因此有必要进行研究，充分探讨父母患有艾滋病对神经发育的影响。 在两个规划赠款年期间，我们将对面临艾滋病毒/艾滋病的儿童的神经发育进行一项横断面研究，以便建立能力，对刚果民主共和国（DRC）与艾滋病毒有关的神经发育和中枢神经系统（CNS）疾病进行长期队列研究。 虽然迫切需要进行儿科艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究，但同样迫切需要培训合格的调查人员，特别是撒哈拉以南非洲人，以促进和领导研究工作。 我们建议开发一个南北（美国，欧洲，刚果民主共和国）和南南（南非，刚果民主共和国）合作的“神经发育和艾滋病毒/艾滋病”的研究计划，以调查面临艾滋病毒/艾滋病的儿童的神经发育和中枢神经系统疾病，并有助于在金沙萨大学，刚果民主共和国的神经发育研究的可持续能力建设的长期目标。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the greatest humanitarian and health challenges facing the global community. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa has resulted in an explosion in the numbers of orphaned children and a rapidly expanding pediatric HIV/AIDS epidemic. Studies in the US and Europe have demonstrated that a major consequence of perinatal HIV infection is the significant impact on brain development and, subsequently, on the achievement and maintenance of developmental milestones. It is quite likely that in the coming decades, HIV will be the most frequent cause of neurodevelopmental delay in sub-Saharan Africa. Even though more than 80% of childhood HIV infections occur in Africa, the impact of HIV/AIDS on the health of African children remains poorly documented. The introduction of antiretroviral therapy will not only extend the survival but also profoundly affect the social and physical functioning of children and their families and change pediatric HIV/AIDS from an acute to a chronic disease requiring a comprehensive approach to care from birth through school-going age. The HIV epidemic is not only affecting HIV infected children but is making millions of children vulnerable. The illness of a parent marks the beginning of erosion of the family and trauma in the emotional and material life of a child. As educational opportunities are key components of a "safety net" program for vulnerable children, there is a need for studies to fully explore the neurodevelopmental consequences of being confronted with parents suffering from AIDS. During the two planning grant years, we will perform a cross-sectional study on the neurodevelopment of children confronted with HIV/AIDS, in order to build the capacity to perform a Iongitudinal cohort study on HIV-related neurodevelopment and central nervous system (CNS) disorders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Although there is a pressing need for pediatric HIV/AIDS research, there is an equally great need for the training of qualified investigators, especially sub-Saharan Africans, to contribute to and lead research efforts. We propose to develop a North-South (US, Europe, DRC) and South-South (South Africa, DRC) collaborative "Neurodevelopment and HIV/AIDS" research program to investigate the neurodevelopment and CNS disorders of children confronted with HIV/AIDS and to contribute to the long-term goal of building sustainable capacity in neurodevelopmental research at the University of Kinshasa, DRC.