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Case Reports
. 2011 Jan;2(1):97-100.
doi: 10.4103/0976-3147.80095.

Watering flowers in the rain: The elusive nature of executive dysfunction in HIV

Elizabeth L Lewis  1 , Kathy Lawler
Affiliations
Case Reports

Watering flowers in the rain: The elusive nature of executive dysfunction in HIV

Elizabeth L Lewis et al. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) frequently experience both neurocognitive and psychiatric dysfunction. Apathy is a prominent neuropsychiatric symptom associated with HIV and is related to neurologic dysfunction. In contrast, depression is independent of neurocognitive impairment in HIV. This case report illustrates the importance of behavioral observations from family members of HIV-positive (HIV+) individuals as a valuable source of information. These behavioral observations can be particularly important in rural resource-limited settings, where cognitive testing is often limited to standardized mental status examinations.

Keywords: Apathy; HIV; behavior; depression; impairment; neurocognitive.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

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