Neuropsycological performance in HIV sieropositive intravenous drug users: a longitudinal observation

The debate about the cognitive functions’ involvement in the early stages of HIV infection is still open. The aim of the study is to verify the existence and the possible onset of a cognitive function involvement in HIV seropositive (HIV+) drug users (TD+) in pre-AIDS stage and during the pre-HAART period. The biannual neuropsychological evaluations of 58 HIV seropositive drug users (TD+) subjects were retrospectively analized in comparison with the ones of 46 HIV seronegative (HIV-). The HIV- population included 19 TD+ and 27 TD-. The observations were conducted between January 1993 and December 1996. HIV+ subjects show stable cognitive performances during the subsequent neuropsychological examinations; two subjects incurred in AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC) as their disease progressed and shifted from asymptomatic to symptomatic phase. The early neurotropism of the HIV virus does not necessarily mean a cerebral functional involvement. During the asymptomatic phase ADC may develops, mainly when immunodeficiency worses shifting asymptomatic to symptomatic phase.