Background: As many human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive individuals are now living longer after infection because of highly active antiretroviral therapy, aging-related manifestations of cerebral small-vessel ischemic vascular disease, such as brain white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), are becoming increasingly important in this population.
Goals: This study was designed to determine the relationship between WMHs and cortical volumes in HIV-seropositive individuals.
Materials and methods: Voxel-based morphometry was used to compare cortical volumes among 62 HIV-seropositive individuals participating in the Hawaii Aging with HIV Cohort Study, 30 with moderate WMHs and 32 with minimal or no WMHs.
Results: Presence of moderate WMHs was associated with decreased cortical volumes in the frontal lobes bilaterally.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that age-related WMHs are associated with reduced frontal gray matter volumes in HIV-seropositive individuals, supporting the hypothesis that the frontal lobes may have greater susceptibility to the effects of small-vessel ischemic vascular disease.