Neuroimmunological correlates of cognitive impairment

The few available data on the immunological correlates of cognitive impairm ent occurring in neurological diseases are reviewed in order to provide a r ationale for preliminary investigations in multiple sclerosis. Since HIV-co rrelated dementia constitutes a paradigmatic example of immune-mediated cog nitive impairment, the neurodegenerative mechanisms occurring in such disea se as well as in Alzheimer's disease are illustrated. The role of antibody- mediated immune responses, of microglial cells and of certain cytokines, pa rticularly interleukin-1. in excitotoxic neural degeneration an put in evid ence.