Royal W, Updike M, Selnes O A, Proctor T V, Nance-Sproson L, Solomon L, Vlahov D, Cornblath D R, McArthur J C
Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Neurology. 1991 Dec;41(12):1905-10. doi: 10.1212/wnl.41.12.1905.
A group of 109 HIV seropositive and 51 seronegative intravenous drug users was evaluated for the presence of HIV-1-related neurologic disease using clinical, neurologic, neuropsychological, and electrophysiologic evaluations. About 80% of HIV seropositive subjects had less than two constitutional symptoms. CD4 cell counts were less than 500/mm3 among 56% of seropositive participants; three individuals were receiving zidovudine. Neurologic abnormalities were found frequently among the cohort, independently of HIV-1 serostatus; electrophysiologic abnormalities were uncommon. Participants from both serologic groups scored significantly lower on neuropsychological tests as compared with norms established for a cohort of homosexual men, and there was no clear association between HIV-1 serostatus and performance on these tests. This study suggests that HIV infection was not the dominant cause of neurologic abnormalities among the study cohort.
