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Verbal working memory in HIV-seropositive drug users
R Farinpour1, E M Martin, M Seidenberg
1VA Chicago Health Care System-West Side Division, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS
|August 10, 2000
Summary
People with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and who use drugs show impaired verbal working memory. This deficit is more common in symptomatic individuals, indicating it is not specific to visuospatial tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Previous research indicates visuospatial working memory deficits in HIV-seropositive drug users.
- The impact of HIV on verbal working memory in this population remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate verbal working memory performance in HIV-seropositive male drug users.
- To compare their performance with HIV-seronegative drug users.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 30 HIV-seropositive male drug users and 30 seronegative controls.
- Utilized the Listening Span and verbal Self-Ordered Pointing Task for assessment.
Main Results:
- HIV-seropositive individuals exhibited significantly more impaired working memory performance than controls.
- Symptomatic HIV-seropositive participants showed the highest incidence of verbal working memory deficits.
Conclusions:
- Working memory deficits in individuals with HIV are not limited to visuospatial domains.
- These deficits are reliably observable in drug-using populations.