The authors examined decision making in HIV patients under slow and
rapid information deliveries. Thirteen asymptomatic, HIV-infected (HIV+)
subjects with known seroconversion dates and 13 healthy control subjects
were instructed to detect the "oddball" target tones among nontarget tones
during single-channel (slow) and dual-channel (rapid) deliveries.
Event-related potentials (ERPs) from midline scalp sites, reaction time,
and "hits" were recorded. Behaviorally, the two groups performed similarly,
and during single-channel delivery they produced similar ERPs indexing
target detection. However, during dual-channel delivery the HIV+ group
showed atypical morphology in the region of the P300 cognitive
decision-making component compared with the control group. Auditory ERPs
elicited by rapid, dichotic stimulus presentations appeared sensitive to
subclinical effects of HIV-related neuropathology in individuals who had
been HIV-positive for 3 months to 8 years.Abstract Teaser