METhODS

Fifteen HIV@ homosexual male subjects (mean age 31.6 Ā±7.2 yr) were recruited from a dermatology clinic at Mount Sinai Medical Center, which was studying both symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV@ subjects. HIV-l seropositivity was deter mined by Western blot analysis, as previously described (24). The subjectswereevaluatedclinicallyand found to be asympto matic. A detailed medical history and a complete physical ex amination, which was normal in all subjects, was performed by LR. None ofthe subjectshad a historyofintravenous drug abuse. The subjects were evaluated by a neurologist (RD) and were found to be asymptomatic and without neurologic or cognitive abnormalities. The cognitiveevaluation included the use of a standardized neurologic examination used in a dementia clinic with specificquestionsdevelopedto assesssymptomsof memory lossand psychiatricsymptomatology (depression, anxiety, hallu cinations, delusions). The cognitive evaluation included an as sessmentof orientation, recent and remote memory, similarities, languagecomponents (naming, comprehension, fluency, repeti tion), calculations and constructional praxis.