INCREASED PREVALENCE OF SEPTAL CAVITATION IN A NONSCHIZOPHRENIC SAMPLE - AN MRI STUDY OF HIV-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS

Analyses of MRI scans of 26 asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals (HIV +) and 10 HIV-seronegative psychiatric control subjects (HIV-) reveale d an incidental finding: 50% of the HIV+ subjects had a discernible cl eft in the septum pellucidum (cavum septi pellucidi; CSP), compared to only 20% of the HIV- control subjects. HIV+ subjects with CSP were mo re likely to complain of sensory changes and performed more poorly on specific neuropsychological tests when compared with HIV+ subjects wit hout CSP. These findings suggest that elevated rates of CSP are not li mited to the schizophrenic population. CSP may be a marker of premorbi d events that increase the vulnerability to cognitive and perhaps beha vioral sequelae of neurologic disease or injury.