HIV Infection and Chronic Drinking Have a Synergistic, Damaging Effect on the Brain

"Although individuals with either HIV infection or alcoholism generally performed at normal levels, individuals comorbid with HIV infection and alcoholism were impaired relative to controls and to the single-diagnosis groups on selective memory processes,” wrote the study authors. “Immediate episodic memory was impaired, whereas working memory remained intact.” Over one year, little change in performance between the groups was detected. The study’s results could not be explained by lifetime alcohol use, CD4 cell count, AIDS diagnosis or antiretroviral therapy, the researchers found."

Read more in CDCNPIN, July 31, 2009.