Mental impairment and neurocognitive symptoms associated with HIV infection

SummaryMental health issues are often overlooked in the setting of HIV-infected patient care. However, neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as dementia or depression, may impair a patient's ability to understanding and follow treatment regimens, leading directly to poor HAART adherence. Mental conditions can be successfully improved in HIV/AIDS patients with antidepressant therapy, psychotherapy or antiretroviral drug selection regimens. New treatment strategies for HIV have resulted in marked health improvements. Psychoneurological problems are increasingly recognized as crucial to the overall health of all people with HIV/AIDS disease. For individuals treated with antiretrovirals, there is the added issue of drug-related neuropsychiatric complications, which may arise as a result of drug-related adverse events and which may affect mental well-being. Virus also directly affect mental functioning as a result of advancing HIV inflammatory process in Central Nervous System. The management of mental health concerning the neuropsychitric symptoms, become an integral part of comprehensive HIV/AIDS care. The present article focuses on the review of cognitive disorders in HIV, as well as the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy.