PURSUIT EYE-MOVEMENT DYSFUNCTION IN HIV-1 SEROPOSITIVE INDIVIDUALS

Studies of smooth pursuit eye movements were conducted in 30 ambulatory drug-free HIV-1 seropositive patients who did not yet manifest marked clinical signs of the AIDS Dementia Complex. Seropositive patients demonstrated disturbances in pursuit eye movements that were correlated with extent of immunosuppression, with impairments on neuropsychological tests of fine motor control/speed, and with independent clinical staging of the AIDS Dementia Complex. The results provide quantitative evidence that oculomotor disturbances are present in HIV-1 seropositive individuals before the manifestation of marked AIDS Dementia Complex. For this reason, and because more severe eye movement impairments have been observed in patients with AIDS, quantitative eye movement studies may provide a useful neurobehavioral procedure for characterizing and monitoring progression of CNS involvement associated with HIV-1 infection from early in its course.