Neurological and neuropshychological manifestations of HIV‐1 infection: Association with AIDS‐related complex but not asymptomatic HIV‐1 infection

TLDR

The study aimed to determine whether neurological and neuropsychological abnormalities are associated with clinical manifestations of HIV‑1 infection in men without AIDS by conducting a historical prospective and cross‑sectional analysis. It enrolled 100 HIV‑1 seropositive men (26 with AIDS‑related complex, 31 with generalized lymphadenopathy, 43 asymptomatic) and 157 seronegative controls, assessing them through medical history, physical examination, and neuropsychological testing. Subjects with AIDS‑related complex exhibited significantly higher rates of neurological, cognitive, or affective symptoms (42% vs 19%) and poorer neuropsychological performance, with 31% showing abnormal results on two or more tests versus 12% of seronegatives, these symptoms and deficits correlated only within the AIDS‑related complex group, while those with generalized lymphadenopathy or asymptomatic infection did not differ from seronegatives. The abstract was truncated at 250 words.

Abstract

To determine whether neurological and neuropsychological abnormalities are associated with clinical manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in men who do not have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), we performed a historical prospective and cross-sectional study. One hundred HIV-1 seropositive homosexual or bisexual men, of whom 26 had AIDS-related complex, 31 had generalized lymphadenopathy, and 43 had no signs or symptoms of HIV-1 infection, and 157 HIV-1 seronegative men were enrolled from a cohort of 6,701 men who were originally recruited between 1978 and 1980 for studies of hepatitis B virus infection. Evaluation included medical history, physical examination, and neuropsychological tests. Of 26 HIV-1 seropositive subjects with AIDS-related complex, 11 (42%) reported neurological, cognitive, or affective symptoms compared with 30 (19%) of 157 HIV-1 seronegative subjects (relative risk = 2.2, p = 0.02). On neuropsychological testing, subjects with AIDS-related complex performed at a significantly lower level than the HIV-1 seronegative group (p = 0.001). A significantly higher percentage of subjects with AIDS-related complex (8[31%]of 26) than HIV-1 seronegative subjects (19 [12%] of 157) had abnormal results on two or more neuropsychological tests (rate ratio = 2.5, p = 0.03). Symptoms and impairment on neuropsychological tests were correlated only within the group who had AIDS-related complex. Subjects with generalized lymphadenopathy and subjects who had no signs or symptoms of HIV-1 infection were not different from HIV-1 seronegative subjects with respect to symptoms or performance on neuropsychological tests. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)