J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1992; 4:294-302
Copyright © 1992 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Auditory event-related potentials in HIV-1 infection: a study in the drug-user risk group
L Handelsman, T Horvath, M Aronson, M Schroeder, J Jacobson, J Wiener, A Peterson, K Holloway, R Ness and S Herman
Psychiatry, Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468.
Features of event-related potentials (ERPs) may be sensitive and clinically
useful markers of central nervous system infection by the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1); however, this application has not been
studied in the risk group of intravenous drug users. Auditory ERPs
generated by an "oddball" paradigm were analyzed for 39 male drug abusers
as part of a multimodal assessment. Stage of HIV-1 infection was associated
with prolongations of P1, N1, and P3 components of the ERP waveform. Only
patients with full acquired immunodeficiency syndrome showed statistically
significant increases in waveform prolongations. Specific
neuropsychological deficits were not related to waveform latency
prolongations.
