HIV Vulnerability Associated with Dementia in Non-Elderly Individuals: An Integrative Review

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was discovered in the 1980s as a sexually transmitted infectious disease and considered a major public health problem. HIV presents very accentuated neurotropism, leading to the appearance of neurological syndromes, mainly in more chronic phases of the infectious process. The most frequent alterations are vacuolar myelopathy and a picture of cerebral atrophy, progressive dementia, and peripheral neuropathies, all related to the action of HIV and the immune system itself in the central and peripheral nervous tissue. HIV-associated dementia contributes to the morbidity of the infection and is a risk factor for mortality. Prior to the use of antiretroviral therapy, over 15% of individuals with AIDS had dementia and over 15% of minor motor cognitive impairment. Advanced infection is a risk factor for the development of dementia both in the pre- and post-pharmacological treatment era. Considering the aspects, the present study aimed to carry out an integrative literature review on the pathophysiological aspects of the relationship between dementia and HIV carriers.