Characteristics of the neuropsychological performance in patients with HIV infection

Abstract

Objective. To describe the characteristics of the neuropsychological performance of patients with HIV infection in the different stages of the infection.

Methods. A clinical sample made up of 122 patients was obtained: asymptomatic seropositive subjects: Stage A (n = 30), Stage B (n = 17), Stage C or AIDS: Stage C (n = 41) and seronegative subjects: Control Group (n = 34). All the subjects underwent the same evaluation procedure: neuropsychological assessment, an interview on sociodemographic and clinical aspects. The results were compared based on the serological situation and clinical stage.

Results. Performance of the seropositive subjects was lower than that of the seronegative ones (Group Control) in all the studied factors: 1) Visual memory (F = 12.83; p < 0.); 2) Attention/psychomotor speed (F = 18.25; p < 0.); 3) verbal intelligence/abstract reasoning (F = 11.97; p < 0.); 4) Verbal memory for texts (F = 6.43; p < 0.); and 5) verbal memory for digits and words (F = 6.27; p < 0.001). Inside the group of seropositive subjects, the patients with AIDS (Phase Q presented the lowest levels of execution in all the factors. The functions demonstrating the worse performance were those of: Attention/psychomotor speed, visual memory and verbal intelligence/abstract reasoning.

Conclusions. Neuropsychological performance is clearly diminished in the advanced phases of the disease, this not being as clear in the asymptomatic phases. In view of the characteristics of the neuropsychological performance observed in the early stages of the infection, we consider that these cannot used as reliable predictors of more severe future neuropsychological alterations characteristic of the most advanced phases of HIV infection.