Longitudinal neuropsychological evaluation of HIV‐infected intravenous drug users

Abstract

The present study aimed to describe the cognitive status of a group of HIV-positive asymptomatic intravenous drug users (IVDU) and changes which occurred over a 12-month follow-up period. Forty-two HIV positive IVDU were selected and matched for age, sex, educational level and pattern of drug abuse with 39 seronegative IVDU controls. Baseline and follow-up evaluation included neuropsychological tests exploring attention, language, memory, logic and visuomotor abilities, biological markers and clinical parameters. About one-third of both seropositive and seronegative subjects showed at baseline slight cognitive deficits, which did not change during the follow-up period.

Factors Associated with Neuropsychological Impairment in HIV Infection

“…It was also suggested that the interaction of HIV infection and drug use might produce additive and synergistic cognitive deficits. Studies suggest that co-presence of HIV infection and drug use does not affect the cognitive functioning (Selnes et al, 1990;Selnes et al, 1992;Goodwin et al, 1996;Bono et al, 1996;Selnes et al, 1995). Cristiani et al, (2004) reported that the effect of marijuana use was greatest in subjects with symptomatic HIV infection.…”

The Influence of Neurocognitive Impairment, Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) Use, and Psychosocial Factors on Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence, Service Utilization and Viral Load Among HIV-Seropositive Adults

“…The tests selected have been used in previous studies with HIV-positive users of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine (Di Sclafani, TolouShams, Price, & Fein, 2002;Durvasula et al, 2001;Mason et al, 1998;Messinis, Kyprianidou, Malefaki, & Papathanasopoulos, 2006; and have well-developed norms, high reliability and high validity Bono et al, 1996;. Raw NC scores were analyzed; unadjusted NC measures provide better ecological validity when scores are not intended to diagnose "impairment" in the sample White, 1996;) is primarily a measure of attention, cognitive flexibility, information processing, and psychomotor speed.…”

“…The tests selected have been used in previous studies with PLWH who use alcohol and other drugs, and these tests have well-developed norms and high reliability and validity Bono et al, 1996;. The Auditory Verbal Learning Test, University of California Los Angeles/World Health Organization Version (AVLT; 1996).…”