The Truth About AIDS Dementia Essay, Research Paper

The Truth About AIDS Dementia

The Bare Facts

Most people have heard of AIDS ; they know it stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and it & # 8217 ; s the consequence of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( HIV ) . The virus attacks the organic structure & # 8217 ; s immune system, rendering an single incapable of fending off bacteriums and viruses that the immune system could usually destruct. And most people have heard of dementedness, a status where an person has trouble concentrating and retrieving things. But the mean American does non cognize much about AIDS dementedness. AIDS dementedness is a complication of HIV infection ; it & # 8217 ; s fundamentally dementednesss caused by HIV, and it & # 8217 ; s nowadays in a figure of HIV positive people. The effects of AIDS dementedness do non come up for a figure of old ages until after one has had a serious turn with AIDS. But one time the symptoms appear, the effects can lay waste to.

It & # 8217 ; s estimated that 10 to 30 per centum of HIV positive people have some grade of AIDS dementedness ( 3 ) . The symptoms of AIDS dementedness scope from mild memory loss to seizures-the same symptoms any type of dementedness sick person would expose. The symptoms appear bit by bit, but grow worse with clip. Besides the behavioural alterations associated with AIDS dementedness, there are besides physical, noticeable alterations in the encephalon. The entire volume of the encephalon decreases because parts of the encephalon wasting ( 7 ) . Autopsies of persons who suffered from AIDS dementedness reveal a general wasting of the encephalon, particularly in the basal ganglia, the part of the encephalon that controls some motor and cognitive maps ( 4 ) . AIDS dementedness sick persons tend to hold a lower nervus cell count and a higher concentration of intellectual spinal fluid ( 5 ) . The predating physical alterations can all be monitored utilizing some type of medical imagination device.

The Machines

The differences between the encephalons of patients with AIDS dementedness and normal encephalons can be scanned utilizing the following imaging mechanisms: computed imaging ( CT ) , magnetic resonance imagination ( MRI ) , and individual photon/positron emanation computed imaging ( SPECT/PET ) . CT scans involve go throughing an X ray through the encephalon at different angles. The fading of the X-rays enables sensitive receptors to find the denseness of the tissue, and since the wasted parts of the encephalon have a smaller denseness, this shows up on the image. MRI involves the usage of magnets to excite protons to have and convey electromagnetic energy, which can so build an image. With SPECT and PET scans, a radiolabeled molecule, like glucose, is injected into the organic structure, and scanners detect where the radioactive elements are in the encephalon. Glucose powers the encephalon, so active countries of the encephalon usage more glucose than inactive countries, therefore the scans will demo images of the active countries of the encephalon. In AIDS dementedness patients, the wasted parts of the encephalon will non demo up at all in the image because those countries would non utilize any glucose ( 6 ) . All three of the medical imagination devices are utile in placing an AIDS dementedness patient.

The Pathway of the Pathogen

The mechanism by which HIV causes the wasting of the encephalon is still ill-defined. Patients with AIDS dementedness tend to hold a lower figure of nervus cells than norm, taking some research workers to surmise that the HIV stimulates programmed cell death of the nervus cells. Apoptosis is a cell suicide plan ; macrophages and microglia, cells of the immune system, go & # 8220 ; activated & # 8221 ; when infected by certain strains of HIV. The macrophages and microglia would so let go of toxins that kill off nervus cells, and the decreased figure of nervus cells leads to dementia ( 4 ) . This method is believed to be indistinguishable to the manner HIV attacks the cells of the immune system ; assail a cell, and do it kill other cells.

Predictions?

New research indicates that it may be possible to place persons who will develop AIDS dementedness, but who h

ave non shown the symptoms yet. Autopsies revealed that 90 per centum of people with AIDS have some type of pathological alteration in the encephalon, but merely 10 to 30 per centum of people with AIDS are diagnosed with AIDS dementedness ( 3 ) . This research indicates that the symptoms of AIDS dementedness are merely evident when the wasting of the encephalon has gone far plenty to justify a behavioural alteration ; a little physical alteration precedes any behavioural alteration, and since medical imagination allows doctors to see the alterations in the encephalon, it may be possible to name a patient with AIDS dementedness before the symptoms are evident.

Treatment

Once the job is identified, the patient may be treated with a figure of drugs to decelerate down the development of AIDS dementedness. The drug AZT, which has already been shown to decelerate down the development of AIDS, has besides been shown to decelerate the onslaught of AIDS dementedness, although AZT-resistant strains of the virus exist ( 4 ) . There are other more unconventional drugs such as Memantine and Atevirdine that are presently being tested that may turn out to decelerate AIDS dementedness ( 1,2 ) . The precise mechanisms of such drugs are non yet understood, but their effects are observed to observe any alteration in the development of AIDS dementedness.

If HIV causes programmed cell death of the nervous system, so it may be possible to wholly halt the spread of AIDS dementedness in an person. Research workers have identified drugs that can barricade certain parts of the programmed cell death procedure, therefore forestalling the loss of so many nervus cells. Merely farther testing and more research determine if such drugs may someday be used as a intervention for AIDS dementedness.

Why Image?

There are research-based every bit good as life-determining grounds for imaging AIDS dementedness. If scans of the developing disease were taken, the informations gathered might help research workers in developing a better apprehension of HIV. Progressive scans would demo where, when, and perchance how the virus spreads into the nervous system. With the information about how HIV attacks the nervous system, scientists may be able to explicate a better theoretical account for how HIV attacks the immune system. A better apprehension of how the virus plants would take to an apprehension of how to halt it, salvaging 1000s of lives.

Although as of yet there is no remedy for HIV, the quality of life of those who are HIV positive does non needfully hold to be all bad. Peoples can populate slightly normal lives for old ages with HIV ; the virus doesn & # 8217 ; t automatically intend drawn-out hurting and instant decease. AIDS dementedness would take away from the quality of life that HIV positive persons want. Imaging that could observe early marks of dementedness, before the symptoms really developed, might salvage cherished clip for intervention of the disease.

Mentions

1. AIDS Dementia Complex ( Therapy ) . B.J. Brew, et Al. Obtained on 3/12/97. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.newsfile.com/112596ip.htm # A3

2. AIDS Dementia Complex Treatment. Author Unknown. Obtained on 3/12/97. hypertext transfer protocol: //sfghaids.ucsf.edu/aidstrials/trials/trial31543160.html

3. Bing Alive Newsletter for August 1995: Understanding AIDS Dementia. Anne Cole. Obtained on 3/12/97. hypertext transfer protocol: //gopher.hivnet.org:70/0/magazines/alve/ba9508

4. The Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute Letter On the Brain: Nerve Cell & # 8220 ; Suicide & # 8221 ; in AIDS Dementia. Dana Gabuzda, M.D. Obtained on 3/12/97. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.med.harvard.edu/publications/On_The_Brain/Volume5/Number1/AIDS.htm

5. Jama & # 8211 ; HIV/AIDS Reuters Health News & # 8211 ; 8/8/96: Markers for AIDS Dementia Complex Described. Author unknown. Obtained on 2/25/97. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/newsline/archive/0896/re080896.ht # markers

6. Neuroimaging Primer. Keith A. Johnson, M.D. Obtained on 3/12/97. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/hms1.html

7. WBA Sailing master: AIDS Dementia: Overlay & # 8211 ; Image # 10. Author Unknown. Obtained on 3/12/97. hypertext transfer protocol: //count51.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/cases/case14/mr1-tc1/010.html