[Consensus statement on the clinical management of human immunodeficiency virus-associated neurocognitive disorders]

Objective: To develop a consensus document containing clinical recommendations for the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND).

Methods: We assembled a panel of experts appointed by GeSIDA and the Secretariat of the National AIDS Plan (PNS), including internal medicine physicians with expertise in the field of HIV, neuropsychologists, neurologists and neuroradiologists. Scientific information was reviewed to October 2012 in publications and conference papers. In support of the recommendations using two levels of evidence: the strength of the recommendation in the opinion of the experts (A, B, C) and the level of empirical evidence (I, II, III), two levels based on the criteria of the Infectious Disease Society of America, already used in previous documents GeSIDA/SPNS.

Results: Multiple recommendations for the clinical management of these disorders are provided, including two graphics algorithms, considering both the diagnostic and possible therapeutic strategies.

Conclusions: Neurocognitive disorders associated with HIV infection is currently highly prevalent, are associated with a decreased quality of life and daily activities, and given the possibility of occurrence of an increase in the coming years, there is a need to adequately manage these disorders, from a diagnostic as well as therapeutic point of view, and always from a multidisciplinary perspective.