Delayed recognition memory span in HIV-1 infection.
We administered a spatial version of the Delayed Recognition Span Test (DRST), a working memory task performed abnormally by patients with basal ganglia disease, to a group of 96 HIV-seropositive and 83 seronegative subjects with a high prevalence of substance abuse. For comparison purposes, we also administered the Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the Trail Making Test (TMT), measures which detect HIV-related mental slowing efficiently in gay men but are nonspecifically impaired in subjects with a history of substance abuse. As predicted, scores on the TMT and the SDMT did not discriminate the groups, but HIV-seropositive subjects had significantly shorter spatial spans (p < .007) and DRST total scores (p < .005). These effects could not be attributed to differences in age, education, estimated intelligence, or psychological distress, because the groups were well matched on these variables. The DRST is a promising measure of HIV-related cognitive dysfunction in substance abusers, who are often nonspecifically impaired on psychomotor tasks. These preliminary data also indicate that working memory function should be studied further in HIV-seropositive subjects.
Martin
E M
EM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago 60612, USA. eileen.m.martin@uic.edu
Pitrak
D L
DL
Pursell
K J
KJ
Mullane
K M
KM
Novak
R M
RM
D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology