Psychomotor slowing in hepatitis C and HIV infection.
BACKGROUND
Both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) may enter the central nervous system and cause cognitive and/or motor dysfunction. There are limited data on cognition and no data on motor performance in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.


OBJECTIVE
To provide data on cognition and motor performance in HIV/HCV infected patients.


METHODS
We compared 43 HIV-seropositive but HCV-seronegative patients, 43 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, and 44 HIV-negative but HCV-positive patients, all of whom went through neuropsychologic testing and electrophysiologic assessment of basal ganglia-mediated motor function.


RESULTS
No significant differences could be found among the groups with regard to premorbid verbal and actual nonverbal intelligence, attention, and memory; the HIV dementia scale; and all somatic and most psychiatric complaints. Affective disorders were less frequent in HIV-negative but HCV-positive patients. This group also scored lower for depression. For all 3 groups, significant pathologic slowing of most rapid alternating movements (right hand) compared with those of HIV/HCV-negative controls as well as significantly prolonged contraction times (both hands) could be diagnosed. Simple reaction times were significantly prolonged only in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Although clinically asymptomatic, both HIV-positive and HCV-positive patients may show affective disturbances and significant psychomotor slowing. A potential predictive value for the further course of infection, which is well established in HIV-positive patients, remains to be investigated in HCV-positive or HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.
von Giesen
Hans-Jürgen
HJ
Department of Neurology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany. giesenhj@uni-duesseldorf.de
Heintges
Tobias
T
Abbasi-Boroudjeni
Naghme
N
Kücükköylü
Seher
S
Köller
Hubertus
H
Haslinger
Bernhard A
BA
Oette
Mark
M
Arendt
Gabriele
G
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents