Fig. 3: EV HIV RNA copy number is correlated with neurocognitive impairment.

a Spearman correlation matrix was used to visualize the relationships specifically between RNA copy numbers and clinical outcomes (n = 84). The correlation matrix uses color (blue = positive; red = negative) to depict the two-sided, pairwise Spearman correlation results (without adjustments for multiple comparisons). Significant two-sided correlations were shown, while non-significant correlations were omitted (white). Pairwise tests that were significant at the 0.05 level were further investigated graphically and in a linear model predicting clinical outcomes, first unadjusted, and then adjusted for covariates (sex, age, duration of ARV treatment, duration of HIV infection, nadir CD4, and viral load). CSF Long LTR was significantly associated with (b) overall T-score (r = −0.28, p = 0.010), (c) Executive Function (r = −0.36, p = 0.001), and (d) Attention and Working Memory (r = −0.22, p = 0.047). The gray region represents pointwise 95% confidence intervals and gray line represents the unadjusted r. CSF cerebrospinal fluid, TAR transactivation response element, LTR long terminal repeat, GDS global deficit score. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.