HIV-1 ENCEPHALOPATHY AND AIDS DEMENTIA COMPLEX

Course overview

NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS ARE THE PRESENTING COMPLAINT IN 4 TO 15 PERCENT OF PATIENTS WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV). HIV-ASSOCIATED NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS (HAND), FORMERLY REFERRED TO AS ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) DEMENTIA COMPLEX (ADC), DESCRIBES A SPECTRUM OF PROGRESSIVELY MORE SEVERE NEUROLOGIC AND COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS. IN 2007, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH DESCRIBED THREE CLASSIFICATIONS OF HAND, RANGING IN SEVERITY FROM ASYMPTOMATIC NEUROCOGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (ANI) TO MINOR NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDER (MND), TO HIV-ASSOCIATED DEMENTIA (HAD). THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS IN AIDS PATIENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE PATIENTS.