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Update on HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.
Tariq B Alfahad1, Avindra Nath
1Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. tariq.alfahad@nih.gov
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports
|August 20, 2013
Summary
HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders are complex and challenging to treat, especially as patients live longer. New diagnostics and treatments are urgently needed for these neurological complications.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- HIV infection can lead to neurocognitive disorders, a significant concern in the post-antiretroviral therapy era.
- The clinical presentation of these disorders is evolving due to aging, comorbidities, and antiretroviral drug side effects.
- Established HIV reservoirs in the brain pose challenges for emerging reservoir elimination strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.
- To discuss the evolving clinical landscape and contributing factors.
- To emphasize the urgent need for novel treatment and diagnostic approaches.
Main Methods:
- This review synthesizes current understanding of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.
- It examines the impact of comorbidities and evolving treatment paradigms.
- It critically evaluates the limitations of current research directions, including reservoir elimination and neuroprotective agents.
Main Results:
- HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders remain a major clinical challenge with limited effective treatments.
- Existing neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory drug trials have failed to show efficacy.
- Individualized treatment approaches are necessary due to complex comorbidities.
Conclusions:
- Neurological complications of HIV infection represent a critical unmet need in research.
- Development of new diagnostics and effective therapies for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders is paramount.
- Further research is essential to overcome the limitations of current strategies and improve patient outcomes.
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