Neuropsychological and neurological manifestations of HIV-1 dementia in drug users

The cognitive and motor deficits associated with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection have been studied using neurological examination and neuropsychological tests. However, drug users with HIV- 1 infection generally have been excluded from such studies. Forty-four well-characterized drug users stratified by Centers for Disease Control staging were administered a standardized neurological examination and a battery of neuropsychological tests under single-blind conditions designed to minimize the acute effects of psychoactive substances. The results of the blind neurological examination were consistent with the previously ascertained clinical staging of HIV-1 infection. The pattern of neuropsychological deficits across HIV-1 states was similar to those found in cohorts of homosexual men.