Brainstem auditory evoked response in HIV-infected patients with and without AIDS.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this paper is to determine the type and frequency of brainstem auditory evoked potential abnormalities in HIV-infected patients with and without acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

METHODS

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials were performed in 44 HIV-infected patients; 22 of these patients were asymptomatic carriers and 22 presented clinical manifestation of AIDS at the time of the study. Twenty healthy young adults were studied as controls. When brainstem auditory evoked potentials were performed, none of the HIV-infected patients had neurologic clinical findings.

RESULTS

The interwave intervals I-V showed significant differences (p <0.05) between both HIV-infected groups and the control group. There were non-significant differences between the two groups including HIV-infected patients with or without clinical features of AIDS.

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that the HIV infection may produce subclinical pathologic changes in the cochlear nerve and brainstem, which can be detected by BAEP test.