Semantic clustering inefficiency in HIV-associated dementia.
Although HIV is detectable throughout the CNS, its preferential disruption of fronto-basal ganglia systems is thought to underlie the neurobehavioral syndrome of HIV-associated dementia. Semantic clustering, a measure of organizational strategy during learning and retrieval, is commonly impaired in patients with frontal systems dysfunction, but has not previously been evaluated in HIV-associated dementia. The current study examined semantic and serial clustering strategies on a list-learning task in 15 individuals with HIV-associated dementia, 44 HIV-infected individuals without dementia, and 24 healthy comparison subjects. Results indicated a stepwise decline in the use of semantic, but not serial, clustering with increasing severity of HIV-associated cognitive disorder. Findings suggest that HIV-associated dementia is associated with inefficient use of higher-level encoding and retrieval strategies, perhaps mediated by a disruption of fronto-basal ganglia systems.
Gongvatana
Assawin
A
University of California, San Diego, 150 West Washington Street, 2nd Floor, San Diego, CA 92103, USA.
Woods
Steven Paul
SP
Taylor
Michael J
MJ
Vigil
Ofilio
O
Grant
Igor
I
D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012660:Semantics; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology