J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1996; 8:74-81
Copyright © 1996 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Neuropsychological effects of Interferon Alfa-n3 treatment in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected individuals
RL Mapou, WA Law, K Wagner, JL Malone and DR Skillman
Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Rockville, Maryland 20850. rmapou@hiv.hjf.org
Eighteen asymptomatic HIV-1-infected (HIV+) individuals were evaluated
neuropsychologically before and during Interferon Alfa-n3 treatment. All 18
were evaluated twice, and 9 were evaluated three times. Analyses revealed
few significant effects of treatment on cognitive, motor, and affective
function. Improvements occurred over visits on measures of attention and
appeared to reflect practice effects. Decrements occurred over visits on
measures of procedural and supraspan learning. Examination of the data
suggested that decrements were due to procedural artifacts and were not
medication effects. In contrast to prior studies reporting significant
neuropsychiatric side effects of interferon alpha treatment, few such
effects occurred when HIV+ individuals were treated with Interferon Alfa-n3
and were evaluated neuropsychologically in a systematic manner.
