Memory for verbal information in individuals with HIV-associated dementia complex

Abstract

Patterns of memory performance were examined for 9 participants with HIV-associated dementia (HAD), 15 HIV-seropositive participants without dementia, and 15 HIV-seronegative controls. Episodic and semantic memory were assessed using the California Verbal Learning Test, the Boston Naming Test, and Verbal Fluency tests. The HAD group showed deficits in episodic memory, with relative sparing of semantic memory. In addition, results suggest a retrieval deficit in HAD rather than a deficit in retention of information. This pattern is consistent with the presence of a subcortical dementing process and supports findings from previous neuropathological, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological studies suggesting that subcortical brain dysfunction is frequently associated with HIV disease (e. g., Navia, Jordan, & Price, 1986).