Neuronal pattern correlates with the severity of human immunodeficiency virus-associated dementia complex. Usefulness of spatial pattern analysis in clinicopathological studies.
The spatial distributional pattern of neurons, in the superior frontal gyrus of 32 subjects who died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, was examined. The patients were classified as nondemented, mildly demented, and severely demented, and some were treated with the anti-retroviral drug zidovudine. Spatial statistical techniques were employed to investigate the degree of clustering in the individual cases and various groups. We found that the cluster pattern of large and small neurons differed significantly with increasing severity of dementia but was not influenced by the duration of zidovudine treatment. We conclude that this is a sensitive technique for clinicopathological correlations and that the differences may result from loss of specific neuronal populations, which could determine the degree of dementia.
Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom.
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E
Asare
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Dunn
J
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Glass
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J
McArthur
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Luthert
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P
Lantos
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I
Everall
D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015215:Zidovudine