Neuropsychiatric aspects of HIV infection: a liaison psychiatry study

Abstract

SummaryAll the HIV-infected patients having referred to our Liaison Psychiatry Service between October 1992 and June 1994 were considered in this study. Seventy patients underwent psychiatric assessment and medical/neurological evaluation. Forty-seven of these patients were also subjected to cognitive/neuropsychological examination by means of the Milan Overall Dementia Assessment (MODA). Depressive episodes, adjustment disorders and substance abuse were the most frequently encountered diagnoses. Taking into account neuropsychological data, we found that symptomatic patients performed worse on tests than did asymptomatic ones.