For the first time shows the selective pattern of destruction caused by AIDS in areas of the brain that control motor and sensory functions of language. High-resolution 3 - D color scans images that were created from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly show the damage.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and research provides a new way to measure the impact of AIDS on the brain of living, and reveals that the brain is still vulnerable to infection in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy highly active (HAART).
"Two big surprises emerged from this study," explained Paul Thompson, Ph.D., first author and assistant professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California. "First, that AIDS is selective in how the attacks in the brain and, secondly, drug therapy does not seem to slow the damage. The brain provides a sanctuary for HIV where most drugs can not be followed."
Thompson used a new Lab 3 - D brain mapping technique developed at the University of California for the analysis of MR images of 26 people with AIDS, and then compared to scans of those people who carry it 14. Brain scans measure the thickness of gray matter in different regions of the cerebral cortex.
University of Pittsburgh diagnosis and examination of AIDS patients; all the articles 26 have lost at least half the number of T cells have, and the immune cells targeted by HIV. Not one of the experienced AIDS-related dementia, and 13 were on HAART.
The striking differences between the AIDS patients' brain scans and the control is easy to see in the image 3 - D in detail. Areas of tissue loss glowed red and yellow, while intact regions shone blue and green.
Researchers were surprised to discover that AIDS consistently in the brain motor, and language centers of government, but left other areas alone. Specific patterns of tissue damage is directly linked with the symptoms of "physical and mental patients, including the coordination and impaired motor reflexes slowed.
"The brain scan really understand AIDS red-handed, allowing us to see precisely where the damage," noted Thompson. "For the first time, we can understand why motor skills deteriorate with AIDS, because the virus attacks the car at the highest centers of the brain."
"We have seen up to the loss of tissue 15 percent in the centers of the brain that regulate motor skills, such as movement and coordination," added Thompson. "This helps explain the slowed reflexes and disruption of balance and gait that often affect people with AIDS in the early."
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and research provides a new way to measure the impact of AIDS on the brain of living, and reveals that the brain is still vulnerable to infection in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy highly active (HAART).
"Two big surprises emerged from this study," explained Paul Thompson, Ph.D., first author and assistant professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California. "First, that AIDS is selective in how the attacks in the brain and, secondly, drug therapy does not seem to slow the damage. The brain provides a sanctuary for HIV where most drugs can not be followed."
Thompson used a new Lab 3 - D brain mapping technique developed at the University of California for the analysis of MR images of 26 people with AIDS, and then compared to scans of those people who carry it 14. Brain scans measure the thickness of gray matter in different regions of the cerebral cortex.
University of Pittsburgh diagnosis and examination of AIDS patients; all the articles 26 have lost at least half the number of T cells have, and the immune cells targeted by HIV. Not one of the experienced AIDS-related dementia, and 13 were on HAART.
The striking differences between the AIDS patients' brain scans and the control is easy to see in the image 3 - D in detail. Areas of tissue loss glowed red and yellow, while intact regions shone blue and green.
Researchers were surprised to discover that AIDS consistently in the brain motor, and language centers of government, but left other areas alone. Specific patterns of tissue damage is directly linked with the symptoms of "physical and mental patients, including the coordination and impaired motor reflexes slowed.
"The brain scan really understand AIDS red-handed, allowing us to see precisely where the damage," noted Thompson. "For the first time, we can understand why motor skills deteriorate with AIDS, because the virus attacks the car at the highest centers of the brain."
"We have seen up to the loss of tissue 15 percent in the centers of the brain that regulate motor skills, such as movement and coordination," added Thompson. "This helps explain the slowed reflexes and disruption of balance and gait that often affect people with AIDS in the early."
