determining the prevalence of hiv-related neurological disorders in the asia pacific

Conditions: HIV Infections; HIV Related Neurological Diseases

Summary: this study will determine the prevalence of hiv-related neurological disorders in the countries of the asia-pacific region.

this a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of hiv-related neurological disorders in the countries of the asia-pacific region. researchers will visit each country site for a period of 2-3 weeks and work with local investigators. outpatients will be evaluated once-only for the presence of hiv-related symptomatic peripheral neuropathy and hiv-related neurocognitive impairment. inpatients at the sites will be evaluated once-only for the presence of hiv dementia, cerebral toxoplasmosis, cerebral tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, lymphoma, pml and cmv encephalitis. the primary outcomes are: 1. to determine the prevalence of hiv-related neurocognitive impairment and adc at the apnac-10 sites 2. to determine the prevalence of symptomatic peripheral sensory neuropathy at the apnac-10 sites 3. to determine the prevalence of central nervous system opportunistic infections and tumours at the apnac-10 sites the secondary outcomes are: to determine the degree of cognitive impairment in patients presenting with hiv-related cognitive impairment at the apnac-10 sites * to determine the cd4 cell counts, hiv viral loads hiv viral loads and prior aids defining illnesses (adis) of patients presenting with hiv-related neurocognitive impairment and adc at the apnac-10 sites * to compare the prevalence of hiv-related neurocognitive impairment and adc at the apnac-10 sites to the published pre-haart prevalence of these conditions in developed countries * to compare the prevalence of hiv-related neurocognitive impairment and adc between the apnac-10 sites * to describe the severity of symptoms of patients presenting with symptomatic peripheral sensory neuropathy at the apnac-10 sites * to determine the cd4 cell counts, hiv viral loads hiv viral loads and prior adis of patients presenting with symptomatic peripheral sensory neuropathy at the apnac-10 sites * to determine what proportion of symptomatic peripheral sensory neuropathy may be ascribed to hiv alone, to the use of nucleoside analogues * to compare the prevalence of symptomatic peripheral sensory neuropathy at the apnac-10 sites to the published pre-haart prevalence of these conditions in developed countries * to compare the prevalence of symptomatic peripheral sensory neuropathy between the apnac-10 sites * to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic peripheral neuropathy * to describe the presenting symptoms and signs of patients presenting with cns ois and tumours at the apnac-10 sites * to describe the neuroradiological findings of patients presenting with cns ois and tumours at the apnac-10 sites * to determine the serological, culture and other diagnostic test results of patients presenting with cns ois and tumours at the apnac-10 sites * to determine the cd4 cell counts, hiv viral loads and prior adis of patients presenting with cns ois and tumours at the apnac-10 sites * to compare the prevalence of cns ois and tumours at the apnac-10 sites to the published pre-haart prevalence of these conditions in developed countries * to compare the prevalence of cns ois and tumours between the apnac-10 sites

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * patients are hiv infected * patients are eighteen years or older

Keywords: hiv