Conventional visual analysis of the EEG was performed on 320 hemophiliacs infected with HIV, who spanned the range of the Walter Reed (WR) system for classifying clinical stage of HIV infection, and on 50 HIV seronegative hemophiliac controls. Intermittent or paroxysmal slowing was the conventional EEG abnormality most commonly seen in early stages of HIV infection (stages WR1 and 2), with increased focal epileptiform activity and generalized slowing appearing in patients with the full clinical syndrome of AIDS (WR6). Slowing of the manually measured alpha rhythm was noted in stages WR2 and above. Quantitative EEG (qEEG) was obtained in a subset of 103 male HIV seropositive male hemophiliacs and 35 male HIV seronegative hemophiliac controls. The principal findings were a progressive relative increase in theta power with a tendency towards an anterior topographic distribution, and a progressive decline of spectral power in fast alpha relative to slow alpha with increasing severity of HIV disease. Significant qEEG differences from controls were apparent in WR2 subjects (seropositive with lymphadenopathy and without other constitutional symptoms), and were relatively greater in WR3-6 subjects. These results suggest sensitivity of qEEG to early CNS involvement with HIV infection.

Since 1986 the notation Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is used for the retroviral agent of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). At the beginning of the therapeutical interest in the immunodeficiency syndrome have been primarily focussed in the internal complications. 1982 one reported for the first time about nervous system manifestations (NS-M) in HIV-patients; according to the latest reports NS-M are diagnosed in 39-63% of these patients. In this review all important aspects of the pathogenesis, clinic and therapy for the HIV-associated peripheric- and central-neurological (like e.g. acute and chronic meningitis/meningoencephalitis, dementia, opportunistic infections, polyneuropathies and myopathies) and psychiatric diseases are described.

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