Human immunodeficiency virus and the nervous system.

In conclusion, there are a number of neurological manifestations of HIV infection, affecting both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Involvement of the CNS may occur very early in the course of infection and manifest itself as an acute aseptic meningitis. HIV encephalopathy is currently the most commonly diagnosed neurologic disorder associated with HIV and may in fact occur as a direct result of HIV infection in the brain. In years to come, HIV encephalopathy may assume epidemic proportions. Thus, nurses and other health care workers will have to be well versed in the major symptoms as well as the subtleties associated with this disease. Any drugs effective in treating these neurologic disorders must be capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. AZT is currently being evaluated in the treatment of HIV encephalopathy. Only carefully designed prospective studies will define the natural history of neurologic disorders seen with HIV infection, as well as drugs effective in their treatment.