Cerebral single-photon emission computed tomography abnormalities in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected gay men without cognitive impairment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether technetium Tc99m exametazime single-photon computed emission tomography (SPECT) can distinguish gay human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive subjects, both with and without mild cognitive impairment, from gay HIV-negative control subjects.


METHODS
Twenty HIV-positive subjects (12 without cognitive impairment and eight with mild cognitive impairment) and 10 HIV-negative subjects underwent neurological, neuropsychological, magnetic resonance imaging, and technetium Tc 99m exametazime SPECT examinations.


METHODS
Subjects were recruited from a natural history study of gay men with HIV infection.


METHODS
Subjects from the cohort who had previously participated in a magnetic resonance imaging study were selected for the SPECT study.


METHODS
The SPECT scans were rated as abnormal if focal defects, confirmed by a horizontal profile analysis, were seen.


RESULTS
Sixty-seven percent of HIV-positive subjects without cognitive impairment, 88% of HIV-positive subjects with mild cognitive impairment, and 20% of HIV-negative subjects had abnormal SPECT scans (P < .05 for both HIV-positive groups when each group was compared with HIV-negative subjects).


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with gay HIV-negative control subjects, focal SPECT defects are seen with an increased frequency in HIV-positive gay men without cognitive impairment and in HIV-positive gay men with mild cognitive impairment.
Sacktor
N
N
Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Prohovnik
I
I
Van Heertum
R L
RL
Dooneief
G
G
Gorman
J
J
Marder
K
K
Todak
G
G
Stern
Y
Y
Mayeux
R
R
D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D015497:HIV-1; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon