a new tool for the dementia screening in AIDS patients:HIVDA (HIV Dementia Assessment)

A screening dementia scale is very useful for: -ADC early diagnosis; -ADC follow-up (in relation to the pharmachological therapy). AIM: to verify the suitability of HIVDA. METHODS: from 1.3 to 31.12 1996 HIV+ pts in all stages of the illness were enrolled satisfying the defined inclusion criteria. These pts underwent a wide and complete neuropsychological evaluation and neurological examination in order to classify them under the following diagnosis. Moderate Dementia (MD) and Severe Dementia (SD) according to the criteria of the AAN .Border-Line(BL) and Normal(N). The pts were then evaluated by another examiner unaware of the previous neuropsychological diagnosis with the HIVDA which is composed of two parts: the anamnestic part (AP1 and AP2) and the psychometric part (PP) HIVDA scale is the result of a step by step implementation from the Blessed scale. RESULTS: 153 pts were enrolled. 68 were classified as N, 24 as BL, 26 as MD, 35 as SD. CD4 number was the only statistically different data among the general characteristics . HIVDA A and P total scores are the following: N BL MD SD HIVDA Ax(sd) 2.80(202) 6.34(4.24) 8.03(4.66) 13.00(4.01)HIVDA P 33.78(314)30.07(2.72)27.66(3.60)19.26(4.28) p<0.0001 HIVDA A (A1 anamnestic, A2 behavioral) and P( information, memory, concentration, frontal functions) subitems show a statistically difference too DISCUSSION HIVDA seems to point out scores that agree with the neuropsychological diagnosis: such scores look quite precise both in BL case and in dementia grading. These results confirm the utility to compute the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of this scale.