Common Link Found Between HIV-Related Memory Loss And Alzheimer’s Disease
Many HIV patients suffer from cognitive dysfunction and memory problems.
In a recent study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, researchers have found that HIV-related cognitive impairments are similar to Alzheimer’s related dementia in one aspect – the presence of low levels of the protein amyloid beta in the spinal fluid.
However, the progression towards cognitive dysfunction in HIV patients differs from that in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the researchers, proteins found in the fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord were different in the two cases. Thus, although HIV patients may exhibit the same symptoms that Alzheimer’s patients do, these HIV patients do not have Alzheimer’s.
This finding implies that treatments used to care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease may not be effective in treating HIV patients with memory problems.
In the study, researchers examined the spinal fluid of 49 HIV patients who were exhibiting cognitive impairments, in addition to 21 HIV patients with normal cognitive function, 68 patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, and 50 healthy individuals who had no memory problems.
The participants were studied for the presence of amyloid beta protein in the spinal fluid.
Amyloid beta accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s, which leads to lower levels of this protein in the spinal fluid.
Researchers expected to find low levels of the protein in only Alzheimer’s patients; however, HIV patients with cognitive impairments also showed low levels of amyloid beta in the spinal fluid.
On the other hand, the patients who had Alzheimer’s disease were found to have higher levels of the protein tau, which is a protein associated with tangled nerve fibers in the brain.
This difference in the levels of tau suggests that Alzheimer’s disease and HIV associated memory loss are not completely the same.
The dementia associated with HIV-positive individuals is known as the AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC). . It is believed that ADC occurs as a result of brain cells that are infected with the virus.
ADC leads to nervous system and mental symptoms, such as loss of concentration, forgetfulness, loss of memory, problems with thinking, inability to focus for long periods of time, and irritability, among others.
The most commonly used drug to treat ADC is zidovudine (Retrovir), which is used in high doses. However, other drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier may also be in the future.
Currently, a drug by the name of nimodipine is undergoing clinical trials for usage in the treatment of ADC. Nimodipine, a calcium channel blocker, is currently used for the treatment of high blood pressure.
For more information, please see the Washington University School of Medicine Web site (press release).
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I can only hope that some day there will be an effective cure for all these diseases.
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