Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
Volume 36, Issue 1 , Pages 57-65, January 2003

Normal aging and AIDS

  • J.L Sánchez Rodrı́guez

      Affiliations

    • Department of Basic Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Salamanca, Avenida de la Merced, 109-131, 37005 Salamanca, Spain
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +34-923-294400x3285; fax: +34-923-294608
    • ,
  • M Rodrı́guez Álvarez

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Received 4 February 2002; received in revised form 15 July 2002; accepted 19 July 2002.

Abstract 

Normal aging is accompanied by a wide range of changes in brain structure and function. In this work we seek to examine the hypothesis that normal aging results in neuropsychological findings similar to those produced by neuropsychological impairment related to AIDS. Specifically, we attempt to compare the level of neuropsychological performance in three groups: a normal elderly group (n=46), a young group of AIDS patients (n=36), and a young group of normal subjects (n=22). The results indicated that, despite age differences between the normal elderly and AIDS patients, there was great similarity in the neuropsychological test performance of these two groups. In contrast, both groups demonstrated significantly different neuropsychological test performance than that evidenced by the younger normal controls. These results support the notion that neuropsychological changes related to normal aging are of a nature similar to those observed in AIDS and, therefore, affect functions subserved by frontal–subcortical brain regions.

Keywords:  AIDS, Normal aging, Neuropsychological performance, Frontal–subcortical dysfunction

 

PII: S0167-4943(02)00057-2

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
Volume 36, Issue 1 , Pages 57-65, January 2003

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