Dual task performance in HIV-1 infection

Fifty HIV-infected individuals and 20 uninfected controls participated in a n investigation of dual task performance in HIV-1 infection. Participants f irst engaged in a simple auditory reaction time (RT) task followed by a vis ual choice RT task (single task condition), and then they simultaneously en gaged in both tasks (dual task condition). Under single task conditions, th e HIV+ participants did not significantly differ from controls on either si mple or choice RT (though a trend was evident on single task choice RT). In contrast, under dual task conditions the HIV+ group's performance decremen t, relative to controls, was significantly greater on both simple and choic e RT. This dual task decrement was also significantly associated with slowe r performance on the interference condition of the Stroop. Patients with AI DS tended to have greater dual task decrements than did the pre-AIDS group, though this fell short of statistical significance. These results suggest that HIV-1 infection leads to deficits in divided attention and the simulta neous processing of competing stimuli, deficits which have been linked to d isruption of the anterior attentional system.