Verbal working memory in HIV-seropositive drug users

Recent evidence suggests that HIV-seropositive drug users are impaired on t asks of visuospatial working memory compared with drug users seronegative f or HIV. In the current study we evaluated the performance of 30 HIV-seropos itive male drug users and 30 risk-matched seronegative controls on two meas ures of verbal working memory, the Listening Span and the verbal Self Order ed Pointing Task. Impaired working memory performance was significantly mon common among HIV-seropositive persons compared to controls, with the highe st incidence of deficit among symptomatic participants. These findings indi cate that working memory deficits in persons with HIV are not domain-specif ic and can be demonstrated reliably in drug users.