Autonomic and cardiovascular function in HIV spectrum disease: early indications of cardiac pathophysiology.

Autonomic dysfunction in persons with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been reported previously but its incidence in early stage HIV infection and its relation to cardiovascular function have not been fully examined. The present study evaluated cardiovascular and autonomic function in 55 HIV-seronegative, and 52 HIV-asymptomatic and 31 HIV-symptomatic seropositive men. Measures of hemodynamic and autonomic function were obtained at rest and during a standardized battery of autonomic tests. Results were compared across groups while controlling for age, body mass, and physical activity. Analyses indicated that measures of autonomic function did not differ among groups. However, at rest, both HIV seropositive groups exhibited diminished stroke volume and elevated diastolic blood pressure, albeit within normotensive levels. In addition, the ability to sustain a blood pressure response during prolonged challenge and the relationship between stroke volume and baroreceptor/vagal responsiveness were disrupted in the HIV-symptomatic group. Therefore, in the pre-AIDS stages of infection, autonomic functioning appeared intact; yet alterations in baroreceptor/vagal function associated with depressed myocardial function may be an early warning signal reflecting cardiovascular pathological processes potentially exacerbated by HIV spectrum disease.

Predicting Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) IQ scores from the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (Form I).

The study examined a modification of two sets of previously published LNNB-derived WAIS IQ estimates in order to estimate WAIS-R IQs in a sample of neuropsychiatric patients. Findings suggested that the modification will allow practicing clinicians to estimate WAIS-R IQs with a level of accuracy similar to that found in previous research. The level of predictive accuracy for WAIS-R FSIQ and VIQ was somewhat higher than would be expected on the basis of previous research, which suggests that the modified McKay, Golden, Moses, Fishburne, and Wisniewski (1981) formulae for estimating IQ may be more accurate than previously thought. The correlation matrix of WAIS-R subtests and LNNB Form I clinical and summary scales also is described.