title: Neuropsychological impairment and the natural history of HIV-1 infection in Spanish subjects.
abstract: The authors set out to determine the rates and pattern of neuropsychological impairment shown by seropositive Spanish patients in different stages of HIV infection. A clinical sample was recruited consisting of 115 heterosexual subjects (30 seropositive asymptomatic; 17 seropositive in stage B; 41 seropositive with AIDS, and 27 seronegative). All subjects provided written informed consent and were submitted to the same process of evaluation. A rate of neuropsychological impairment of 33.3% was found in stage A (asymptomatic patients); of 41.2% in stage B (low symptomatology patients); and of 70.7% in stage C (AIDS patients). The pattern of neuropsychological impairment shown by the AIDS patients was qualitatively similar to that observed in the asymptomatic subjects, and consistent with fronto-subcortical-type alterations. Clinically asymptomatic HIV infection represents a risk factor for neuropsychological impairment, even though our results reinforce the idea that the impairment seen in the asymptomatic stages cannot be interpreted as a predictor of more severe cognitive deficits as the disease progresses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Alvarez
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Faílde Garrido
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Simón López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain