Around one in five people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may develop HIV-related cognitive impairment, but the majority of people with HIV do not develop dementia or show any marked decline in their mental abilities.
There can be problems diagnosing HIV-related cognitive impairment because there has been some confusion about the precise definition of the condition, and people can be misdiagnosed as having depression or other conditions instead. Symptoms differ from person to person and may even vary depending on the time of day. They may include forgetfulness, difficulties with concentration and complex thought, apathy, mood swings and hallucinations. Some people may experience only a few very mild symptoms, such as a decline in the ability to think quickly or clearly. These mild impairments do not amount to dementia.
Many doctors believe that the severity of HIV-related cognitive impairment is diminishing as more people with HIV are taking medications.
The coming problem of HIV-associated Alzheimer's diseaseBackground
Dementia associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a subcortical neuropathology that does not resemble Alzheimer's disease. However, several lines of evidence suggest that in t
http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-98...
