Slowed reaction time in HIV-1-seropositive intravenous drug users without AIDS

One hundred and fourteen subjects with a history of intravenous drug abuse (65 subjects infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, and 49 se ronegative controls) were evaluated with a reaction time (RT) test which in cluded one measure of simple RT and three measures of complex RT, All serop ositive patients were in HIV stages A or B, The multivariate analysis of co variance controlled for age, educational level and Montgomery-Asberg Depres sion Rating Scale score, showed differences between seropositive subjects a nd controls: the seropositive group scored slower than the control group on two RT tasks, simple RT and a more complex RT measure. Our results suggest that computerized RT measures may be more sensitive than conventional neur opsychological tests in detecting subtle cognitive and motor retardation in the early stages of HIV infection, thus extending the findings of other st udies to the intravenous drug-user population. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.