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Human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis is the pathological correlate of dementia in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
Wiley CA, Achim C.. Annals of neurology, 1994-10-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
While dementia has been observed in approximately one-fourth of terminally ill patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, it has been difficult to attribute this clinical disorder to a single neuropathological substrate. We used a simple and readily reproducible scale for estimating the burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the central nervous system (i.e., severity of HIV encephalitis) and compared this to autopsy neurological summaries of dementia. Like others, we found that multinucleated giant cells were present in only half of the dementia patients. However, all of the dementia patients had severe HIV encephalitis as assessed by measurements of intra-central nervous system viral burden. Additional patients had severe HIV encephalitis without clinical histories of dementia. We interpret these latter findings as evidence that HIV encephalitis exists for a period of time before the clinical symptomatology develops. Comparison of presence or absence of concurrent cytomegalovirus encephalitis showed no association with dementia.
Key findings
- Like others, we found that multinucleated giant cells were present in only half of the dementia patients.
Why it matters
This autopsy study found that multinucleated giant cells were present in only half of dementia patients, but all dementia patients had severe HIV encephalitis as assessed by intra-central nervous system viral burden. The authors interpret additional patients with severe HIV encephalitis but no clinical dementia history as evidence that HIV encephalitis exists for a period before clinical symptoms develop.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Annals of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Annals of Neurology: journal h-index 437 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1994 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 233 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.9 citations a year over 34 year(s) since 1994 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Cristian L. Achim: h-index 45 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Pittsburgh: institution h-index 1,470 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 7944304) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Wiley, C. A., & Achim, C. (1994). Human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis is the pathological correlate of dementia in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Annals of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410360422
Vancouver
Wiley CA, Achim C. Human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis is the pathological correlate of dementia in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Annals of neurology. 1994. doi:10.1002/ana.410360422. PMID: 7944304.
BibTeX
@article{wiley1994-7944304,
author = {Wiley, C. A. and Achim, C.},
title = {{Human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis is the pathological correlate of dementia in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome}},
journal = {Annals of neurology},
year = {1994},
doi = {10.1002/ana.410360422},
pmid = {7944304},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410360422}
}
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