Neurotransmission in HIV associated dementia: a short review

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is frequently associated with specific neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Our understanding of how HIV-related CNS deficits develop is still preliminary and the cause remains obscure. However, some clues have emerged which may clarify uncertainties. Following a brief discussion of the epidemiology underlying neuropathological mechanisms and clinical symptoms in HIV-infected patients, we focus our attention on neurochemical data obtained by studies in humans and rhesus monkeys which provide information on the effect of the retroviral infection on neurotransmission and assist in the evaluation of potential therapeutic treatments.