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AIDS and the Central Nervous System

Before a person is diagnosed with AIDS he or she are first diagnosed with HIV. This virus interacts with cells in a negative way making the cells function irregularly and causes them to become unhealthy. These damaged nerve cells are imperative for proper brain function so when their health is in jeopardy the brain does not function properly. Known side effects are confusion, memory loss, weakness, behavioral changes, and even the lost of feeling in your arms or legs. The HIV virus also interacts with the brain negatively by damaging those cells that are important to learning and communicating.

Statistics

More than 50 percent of those who have contracted the AIDS virus have had complications with their central nervous system. About 4% to 10% of people with HIV/AIDS develop a disease called NHL and about 20% of people with both AIDS and NHL develop central nervous system lymphoma. About 10% of untreated persons with AIDS develop cryptococcal meningitis, which attacks the brain and spinal cord.

Neurological Problems

Neurological Problems that are associated with AIDS include many different cancers and infections caused by either the weakening of the immune system or by the toxic effects of the drugs used to treat symptoms. Inflamed tissue can put pressure on nerves, which causes severe pain.

Neurological Diseases

One example of these neurological problems is central nervous system lymphomas, which are tumors that often begin in the brain or appear from other cancers in the body that has spread. These tumors can form more than once and have dangerous side effects. Some symptoms of this cancer are dizziness, seizures, vision problems, speech disturbance, and mental deterioration. Epstein-Barr Virus is 100 percent of the cause for lymphomas in those with AIDS. Lymphomas, which are cancers on the lymph notes, can occur in the brain and cause major damage. Lymphomas can be put into two different categories which are, Hodgkins disease and non- Hodgkins lymphoma depending on the cells that are involved.

Another example of a known neurological problem is Cryptococcal Meningitis. This is a fungus that first invades the lungs and then goes to the brain and spinal cord causing inflammation. HIV, a virus that leads to AIDS can create a smoldering infection within the brain, and cause it to deteriorate. Two specific cells that allow these certain virus’s to produce are called Macrophages or microglial cells.

A disease called neurosyphlils is a disease found in HIV patients with syphilis that went untreated. This disease causes the deterioration of nerve cells that send signals to the brain. This can cause the inability to walk properly, speak properly, and think properly. Its onset occurs around mid life and occurs more so in men than women.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a disease that affects those with immune systems that have been damaged by AIDS. A result of this disease is the deterioration of cells in the brain that make myelin, the fatty covering around the majority of humans nerve and brain cells. One can loose their vision, inability to operate limbs, comas, and seizures, paralysis, and speech disturbances.

Toxoplasma gondii is a disease found in HIV patients, this disease is the most common reason for a focused area of brain disease called focal brain lesions. It can cause morbidity also meaning disability.

Diagnoses

CT scans which is short for computed tomography are x-rays used to create two dimensional images of bone and tissue which allows doctors to indicate where the disease is located and what it is. These scans provide more information than an x-ray alone would.

MRI’s which is short for magnetic resonance imaging use a magnetic field in order to create a three dimensional picture of body structures such as organs, bones, and nerves. It allows doctors to look at tissue that is located near the bone.

MRS’s, which is short for magnetic resonance spectroscopy, also uses a magnetic field but focus’s more on nerves located in the brain region. It is used primarily in patients with lesions in the brain.

Biopsy’s are a way of removing tissue from the body and examining it for disorders or tumors of any type. A brain biopsy is different because it requires he or she to be hospitalized and it can see irregularity that a regular biopsy cannot see.

Cerebrospinal fluid analysis can detect brain bleeding or hemorages and infections of the brain and spinal cord. This type of analysis is useful because it can allow researchers to study different types of virus’s that affect certain areas of the brain and spinal cord; a needle removes the sample, while the patient is under anesthesia.

EMG’s which is short for Electromyography is used to detect nerve and muscle dysfunction and spinal cord disease. It reads irregularity by recording muscle activity driven by peripheral nerves.

Treatments

Some pains caused by neuropathic complications due to AIDS cannot be treated at all. Some therapy is used to help the side effects caused by these pains.

Neuropsychiatric affects from AIDS are treated with antidepressants. Ones that are suffering from Dementia take anti-dementia drugs to help slow down confusion and mental decline. There is antiretroviral therapy to treat AIDS dementia and multifocal leukoencephalopathy, at least three drugs are combined to reduce the virus from circulating. There are options that include raditation or chemotherapy to help kill cancerous brain tumors that are caused by the HIV virus.

Research

There are two different institutions that do research for neurological problems caused by AIDS or HIV. The National Institute for neurological disorders and stroke is one and another is the National Institute of Health.

Animals are used to study the courses that HIV and AIDS have on the central nervous system. Other ways of studying the course of these viruses are being explored by the National Institute for neurological disorders.

The National NeuroAIDS tissue consordium is collecting tissue from people with AIDS who have suffered dementia and other neurological effects. This information is passed around the globe for other researchers to study.

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