Evaluación neuropsicológica, factores psicosociales y co-morbilidad psiquiátrica en pacientes pediátricos infectados con el VIH

antiretroviral therapy has marked a change in the course of hiv infection, posing new challenges to improve quality of life in pediatric patients. objective: the goal of this paper was to identify psychosocial aspects of hiv-infected children and adolescents, and to evaluate their neuropsychological development and psychiatric co-morbidity. patients and methods: a descriptive study was conducted, evaluating the neurocognitive performance of patients attending at the pediatric department of instituto de medicina tropical pedro kourí of la habana, cuba, between february and july of 2008. for that purpose, interviews to the patients and their relatives were done with the application of appropriate tests for each age. results: twenty-three patients ages 3-17 years (57% female) were studied. sixteen (69.5%) were infected through vertical transmission, and 7 (30.5%) through other routes. school children infected through vertical transmission showed the most symptoms. hyperactivity, anxiety, and learning disorders were the most frequently observed symptoms as well as hyperkinetic disorders, temporary tic disorders and mental retardation. conclusion: this study shows the neuropsychological characterization of hiv-positive children and adolescents, considering the route of acquisition of the infection and the stage of the disease. it also describes psychiatric comorbidity of hiv-infected children.