title: Slowed reaction time in HIV-1-infected patients without AIDS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if HIV-1-infected patients without acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have cerebral dysfunction as reflected by impaired reaction times compared to patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one HIV-1-infected patients not fulfilling the AIDS criteria, were tested with three reaction time tests and compared to controls with chronic hepatitis C, matched according to gender and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV-1-infected individuals had, in mean, 5-47 ms longer reaction time than patients with hepatitis C (statistically significant in two of three tests). All but 9 HIV-1-infected individuals had, however, reaction times within the normal range defined by the control group (mean +/- 2 SD). No correlation was found between reaction time and immune status measured as CD4-cell count.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that a subgroup of HIV-1-infected individuals have slower reaction time compatible with cerebral deterioration early in the course of the infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mellgren
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Norkrans
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hagberg
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dunlop
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wejstål
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gisslén
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric