Reaction times are faster in HIV-seropositive patients on antiretroviral therapy: A preliminary report.
We evaluated subclinical mental and motor slowing in 142 HIV-seropositive patients without dementia, using computerized simple and choice reaction time tasks and self-report measures of psychological distress. Patients on antiretroviral therapy at the time of testing (n = 79) had significantly faster choice reaction times (p < 0.05), indicating faster mental processing speed, than untreated patients (n = 63). These faster RTs could not be attributed to differences in age, education, risk factors, degree of immunosuppression, substance abuse history, peripheral neuropathy, or psychological distress. Reaction time tasks should be investigated further as potential outcome measures in clinical trials, particularly for subjects with few or no overt cognitive deficits.
Martin
E M
EM
Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA. emartin@psych.uic.edu
Pitrak
D L
DL
Novak
R M
RM
Pursell
K J
KJ
Mullane
K M
KM
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016049:Didanosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016047:Zalcitabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015215:Zidovudine; D016047:Zalcitabine; D016049:Didanosine