Many HIV Patients Experience Nervous System Issues

Many newly infected HIV patients experience neurological problems, but they tend to be mild and they subside after antiretroviral drugs are given, a new study finds. Among 139 people in Thailand infected with HIV three to 56 days before entering the study, tests revealed that 53 percent had neurological problems. One in three had thinking problems, one-quarter had motor control difficulties, and nearly 20 percent had nerve damage, the investigators found. Many had more than one symptom. One participant had Guillain-Barre syndrome, the only severe condition in the group, according to the report. The researchers also found that neurological symptoms were associated with higher levels of HIV in the blood, although the study did not prove that HIV caused the symptoms.