THURSDAY, Sept. 23, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- A key mechanism in the brains of people with HIV dementia has been identified by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory.
The study found that people with this condition have decreased levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The finding may help lead to new treatments for HIV dementia, a cognitive decline that's common in the later stages of HIV infection.
"Our results offer the first evidence of dopamine terminal injury -- specifically, injury to dopamine transporters -- in HIV dementia patients," study author Dr. Gene-Jack Wang said in a prepared statement.
"This suggests that a decrease in transporters may contribute to the disease process. We believe our findings also indicate a new direction for treatment," Wang said.
He and his colleagues used positron emission tomography (PET) to scan the brains of 15 people with HIV, including some with symptoms of HIV dementia.
The study appears in the September issue of Brain.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about dementia.
