Source
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, 149, rue de Sèvres, 75015 Paris, France.
Abstract
AIM:
- To study the types of psychiatric problem encountered in children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and their relationship to central nervous system disorder and the severity of infection.
METHODS:
- 17 HIV-infected children presenting with psychiatric problems were included. Mental disorders were evaluated according to DSM-IV criteria. Neurological disorders and progressive encephalopathy (presence or absence) diagnosis were evaluated by clinical and radiological examination. The severity of infection was assessed by the percentage of CD4 lymphocytes.
RESULTS:
- The most frequent diagnoses were major depression (MDD: 47%) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD: 29%). Major depression diagnosis was significantly associated with neuroimaging or clinical neurological abnormalities (p < 0.01). In contrast, no association was found between hyperactivity diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria and central nervous system disorder. Percentage of CD4 lymphocytes were close to 0 for more than 80% of children presenting with psychiatric complications.
CONCLUSION:
- The very low % of CD4 lymphocytes of these children suggest that the appearance of a psychiatric complication should be regarded as a factor indicating severe HIV infection. Depressive disorders may be a clinical form of encephalopathy.