Early neuropsychological dysfunction caused by human immunodeficiency virus. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Early neuropsychological dysfunction caused by human immunodeficiency virus.

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1989 Summer;1(3):225-35. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/92330326
Marotta R; Perry S; Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York.

Abstract: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the etiological agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), directly affects the central nervous system (CNS) and often causes cognitive, motor, and behavioral changes and eventually a dementia prior to death. Suggestive evidence for the early onset of HIV-induced mental changes is derived from numerous case reports, the nature of subcortical CNS postmortem findings, and early abnormalities seen in cerebrospinal fluid, on brain computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and electroencephalography, and on neuropsychological tests administered to patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex. However, whether clinically significant cerebral impairment can precede symptoms of immunosuppression is unclear. A few studies have shown poorer performance on neuropsychological tests by asymptomatic HIV-infected subjects compared with uninfected controls, but several studies have not found this difference. To address this controversy, the current literature is reviewed, methodological problems are discussed, and recommendations are made for evaluation and treatment when early HIV-induced mental changes are suspected.
Keywords: AIDS Dementia Complex/*DIAGNOSIS/PATHOLOGY AIDS-Related Complex/DIAGNOSIS/PATHOLOGY Brain/PATHOLOGY Electroencephalography Human HIV Seropositivity/DIAGNOSIS/PATHOLOGY *Neurologic Examination *Neuropsychological Tests Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIALKWDaidsdementiacomplex/KWDdiagnosis/pathologyaids-relatedcomplex/diagnosis/pathologybrain/pathologyelectroencephalographyhumanhivseropositivity/diagnosis/pathologyKWDneurologicexaminationKWDneuropsychologicaltestssupport,uKWDsKWDgov't,pKWDhKWDsKWDjournalarticlereviewreview,tutorial
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Copyright © 1992 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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