[HIV-1 infection, use of drugs and neuropsychologic efficiency].

INTRODUCTION

The abuse of substances has been considered as an explanatory factor of the neuropsychologic failure. However, doubts persist on the distinction among direct or indirect effects and even on the interaction between the effect of the HIV and the use of substances. The objective of this investigation consisted on studying the effect of the use of drugs and the seropositivity to the HIV-1 on the neuropsychologic efficiency.

METHOD

After obtaining the informed consent 113 patients they were recruited, integrated in four groups (34 seropositives ex-UDPP; 33 seropositives in maintenance programs with methadone; 19 seronegatives; and 27 seronegatives without previous use of drugs. To all they were applied a neuropsychologic battery designed ad hoc, an semistructured interview about sociodemographical, toxicological, neuropsychiatric and clinical-biological aspects and an evaluation of the anxious-depressive symptomatology.

RESULTS

The seropositive patients in methadone present bigger rates of prevalence of the damage that the rest of the groups (X2 = 32.22, p < .000) and lower rates of execution in all the studied factors. Also, it is observed that the seropositive patients as group present lower execution levels and higher rates of damage. Also, all the groups had lower levels of execution that the people seronegative non consumers (F = 15.661, p > .000).

CONCLUSIONS

The abuse of drugs and the seropositivity are factors that associate to the decrease neuropsychologic efficiency. Also, the situation regarding the abuse explains differences in the execution levels and rates of neuropsychologic damage, being the patients in maintenance programs with methadone those that present the worst execution levels, as well as the highest rates in neuropsychologic affectation.