Auditory event-related potentials in HIV-1 infection: a study in the drug-user risk group.

Features of event-related potentials (ERPs) may be sensitive and clinically useful markers of central nervous system infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1); however, this application has not been studied in the risk group of intravenous drug users. Auditory ERPs generated by an "oddball" paradigm were analyzed for 39 male drug abusers as part of a multimodal assessment. Stage of HIV-1 infection was associated with prolongations of P1, N1, and P3 components of the ERP waveform. Only patients with full acquired immunodeficiency syndrome showed statistically significant increases in waveform prolongations. Specific neuropsychological deficits were not related to waveform latency prolongations.