Neuropharmacology of HIV/AIDS

Abstract

The development of antiretroviral agents has altered the types of neurological diseases seen in patients with HIV/AIDS. The direct effects of HIV infection on nervous system functions underlie the neurological complications of HIV/AIDS in most patients. These changes have resulted in an increase emphasis on the biochemical and neuropharmacological features of HIV‐associated neurological diseases. The role of the nigra‐striatal system and drugs of abuse in HIV‐associated neurological disease as well as the concurrent development of neurodegenerative diseases will become of increasing importance as the age of patients with HIV/AIDS increases as a result of highly active antiretroviral therapies. In this chapter, we will review the neuropathogenesis of HIV/AIDS related neurological disease emphasizing the role of neuropharmacological pathways in the development and treatment of HIV‐associated neurological disease.