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卫生挑战之一。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/艾滋病流行病迅速扩大。美国和欧洲的研究表明，围产期艾滋病毒感染的一个主要后果是对大脑发育产生重大影响，随后对发育里程碑的实现和维持产生重大影响。很有可能在未来几十年里，艾滋病毒将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，但关于艾滋病毒/艾滋病对非洲儿童健康的影响的记录仍然很少。采用抗逆转录病毒疗法不仅能延长儿童的生存时间，而且还能深刻影响儿童及其家庭的社会和身体机能，并将儿童艾滋病毒/艾滋病从急性疾病转变为需要从出生到学龄期间采取综合护理办法的慢性疾病。艾滋病毒流行病不仅影响到感染艾滋病毒的儿童，而且使数百万儿童易受伤害。父母的疾病标志着家庭的侵蚀和孩子情感和物质生活的创伤的开始。由于教育机会是弱势儿童“安全网”计划的关键组成部分，因此有必要进行研究，以充分探索面对患有艾滋病的父母对神经发育的影响。在这两个计划拨款年度，我们将对面临艾滋病毒/艾滋病的儿童的神经发育进行横断面研究，以建立对刚果民主共和国（DRC）艾滋病毒相关神经发育和中枢神经系统（CNS）疾病进行纵向队列研究的能力。虽然迫切需要进行儿童艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究，但同样非常需要培训合格的研究人员，特别是撒哈拉以南非洲人，以促进和领导研究工作。我们建议发展一个南北（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”研究项目，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，并为在刚果民主共和国金沙萨大学建立可持续的神经发育研究能力的长期目标做出贡献。

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.