Implications of Self-Reported Cognitive and Motor Dysfunction inHIV-Positive Patients

Objective: The authors examined HIV-positive subjects to determine the relationship of patient complaints ofcognitive and motor dysfunction to psychiatric status and performance on established cognitive and motor function tests. Method: HIV-positive volunteers (N = 77) were evaluated at entry into a longitudinal neurological study. Forty were asymptomatic, 29 had AIDS-related complex, and eight had AIDS. The subjects were not selected for the presence or absence of cognitive or motor complaints. Complaints of cognitive and motor dysfunction were assessed with items from the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Macro Neuro-logic Exam. Current depression and anxiety were assessed with the Profile of Mood States. Psychiatric status was assessed with the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule, a structured interview that provides DSM-III psychiatric diagnoses. Actual cognitive and motor perfor-mance was measured with standard neuropsychological tests known to be sensitive to the effects ofHIV. Results: Cognitive complaints were found in 38 (49%) ofthe subjects. These complaints were associated with psychiatric symptoms but not with cognitive performance. Motor complaints, found in 12 (16%) of the subjects, were associated with poorer motor performance but not with psychiatric symptoms. The overall frequency ofpsychiatric diag