J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1997; 9:37-44
Copyright © 1997 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Subjective complaints versus actual cognitive deficits in predominantly symptomatic HIV-1 seropositive individuals
LH Moore, WG van Gorp, CH Hinkin, MJ Stern, T Swales and P Satz
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, USA.
The relationship of self-reported cognitive, motor, and affective
complaints to actual neuropsychological functioning was explored in a
cohort of predominantly symptomatic HIV-1 seropositive individuals.
Ninety-two symptomatic HIV-1 infected subjects were questioned about
complaints common in HIV infection and were assessed with a comprehensive
neuropsychological test battery. No relationship was found between
subjective complaints and cognitive functioning, yet a significant
relationship was found between self-reported difficulties and formal
measures of affect and mood. Failure to show a relationship between
self-reported cognitive status and actual neuropsychological functioning in
this cohort suggests that complaints of cognitive decline may be
attributable to emotional factors.
