[AIDS dementia. Prognosis and therapeutic perspectives]

AIDS dementia complex is a severe complication related to HIV infection of the central nervous system. It has been estimated to affect about 7% of AIDS patients, with an increased frequency in very young and old patients. In most cases, it appears in severely immuno-deficient patients. Typically, AIDS dementia presents as a subcortical dementia with cognitive, behavioural and motor decline. The mechanism of the dementia remains unclear; the neuronal loss is controversial and a neurotoxicity due to NMDA receptor activation is likely. No treatment proved to be efficient. Beneficial effect of anti-NMDA receptor antagonists are under investigation.