Functional brain imaging in HIV-1-infected children born to seropositive mothers.

The aim of this work was to study cerebral function in vertically infected children with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). PET with 18F-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was performed in eight children (2.5-5.5 yr): three with severe neurological symptoms and five without. Quantitative analysis was based on gray matter cortical and subcortical regions of interest for which glucose utilization was measured. Diffuse hypometabolism and subcortical hypermetabolism were found in the three children with severe neurological signs; the five other children had temporo-occipital cortical hypometabolism, mainly on the right side. Functional cerebral abnormalities seem to precede clinical symptoms in HIV-1infection of the brain in children.