Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
Introduction
InJune2016,35yearshavepassedsincetheAmericanCentersforDiseaseControl(CDC)detectedand
describedthefirstcasesofanunknowndisease,whichwaslaterreferredtoasaninfectionwiththe
humanimmunodeficiencyvirus(HIV)-anillnessleadingtoacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome(AIDS).
ThefirstCDCreportpresentedcasesofrarepneumoniaandcancerinseveralotherwisehealthyyoung
homosexualmen.Thediseaseprogressedrapidlyendingwithdeath.Amassiveincreaseinthenumberof
newinfectionswasobservedalongwiththenewcasesamongothersocio-demographicgroups.Yet,a
wrongandharmfulstereotypehascommencedtobeformedthatHIVinfectionexclusivelyaffectstheso-
calledhigh-riskgroupsor,inotherwords,homosexualmen,prostitutesanddrugaddicts.
Relativelyshortlyafterthediscovery,themechanismsofacquiredimmunodeficiencywereelucidated,
thesyndromewascharacterized,etiologyofAIDSwasproposedandroutesofspreadingthediseasewere
described.However,ittookafewyearsfortheresearcherstoisolateHIVandtodeveloptestsdetecting
theinfection.Subsequentresearch,whichfocusedonexaminingthestructureandfunctionofthevirus,
enabledthemtounderstandhowitenters,colonizesandreproducesitselfintheorganism.Furthermore,
thegainedknowledgeprovidedthebasisforthedevelopmentofthefirstmethodsoftreatmentforpeople
infectedwithHIV.
HIVepidemichasalreadyaffectedmillionsofpeoplearoundtheworld.Duetothescaleofthethreat(a
highrateofspreading,severecourseofillnessdespitetreatment,comorbidmedicalconditionsandrelated
socialproblems,thenecessityofeducationandpreventionmethods,highcostoftreatment),theHIV
epidemicisthechallengeforthegovernmentsandsocieties.TheissueofHIVinfectionhasbecomethe
subjectofinterdisciplinaryresearchthatcombinesmultiplescientificperspectives(includingmedical,
psychologicalandsocial).
Still,thereisnotreatmentthatwouldbeabletocompletelyeliminateHIVfromthehumanbody.
However,theintroductionofhighlyactiveantiretroviraltherapy(HAART)in1996radicallychangedthe
presentationoftheinfection.Significantdevelopmentshavebeenmadeinthemethodsreducingviralload
greatlyimprovingtheimmunefunctionofthebody,prolongingthelivesofHIV-infectedindividualsand
reducingthemortalityratecausedbycomorbidconditions.DuetoHAART,thenumberofolderadults
livingwithHIVisconstantlygrowing,whilethelifeexpectancyreachestheaverageobservedinthe
generalpopulation(Firląg-Burkacka,Siwak,Gizińska,Święcicki,Cielniak,Horban,2009;Gendelman,Grant,
Everall,Fox,Gelbardetal.,2011).
Unfortunately,despitetheprogressintreatmentandhealthcare,HIVstillposesathreattothelivesand
healthoftheinfectedpopulation,withthemedical,psychologicalandsocialproblemsrelatedtothe
infectionratherevolvingthandiminishing(Smit,Brinkman,Geerlings,Smit,Thyagarajanetal.,2015).This
bookisdevotedtothecurrentproblemsinHIVinfectionwhichstillposeamajorchallengeforthe
specialistsacrossavarietyofscientificfields.
ThepublicationwaspreparedasapartofthescientificeffortswithintheNarodoweCentrumNauki
(NCN,NationalScienceCentre)researchprojectentitled:“Theroleofagingincognitiveandchemosensory
functionsofthebraininHIVinfection”(thisworkwasapartoftheNCNresearchproject(No.UMO-
2012/06/M/HS6/00316HARMONIA-3).Theprojectwasyetanotheroutcomeofourlong-termscientific
collaborationfocusedonexaminingtheneuropsychologicalconsequencesofHIVinfection(see:Łojek,
Bornstein,2005).
Thecontributorstothisbookarenumerousphysiciansofvariousspecializations,psychologists,aswell
asengineerswhoemployneuroimagingmethodsinclinicalresearch.Duetotheengagementinthe
abovementionedNCNresearchproject,manychapterswerepreparedattheFacultyofPsychology,
UniversityofWarsaw;theInfectiousDiseasesHospitalinWarsaw;andtheInstituteofPhysiologyand
PathologyofHearinginKajetany.Thebookdoesnotcoverthefullspectrumofimportanttopicswhich
shouldbediscussedinrelationtoHIVinfectionandAIDS.Thechaptersfocusonthemainsubjectofthe
abovementionedresearchprojectandaredictatedbythespecializationsoftheparticularAuthors.
Therearefourpartsinthisbook.PartIintroducesthediscussiononthecurrentproblemsrelatedto
HIVinfection.Here,theAuthorsexaminechangesintheportraitoftheepidemicaswellasinthecourseof
HIVinfection,whichresultfromthemodernizationofantiretroviraltreatment.PartIIisdevotedtothe
neurologicaldiagnosisandresearchonthecentralnervoussystemintheHIV-infectedpopulation.The
phrase“currentchallenges”inthetitleofthispartreferstotheissueofdeterminingthespecificityofthe
clinicalsymptomsinagingpatientswithHIV,andtheproblemofcharacterizingthecomplexrelationships
betweenthebrainandbehaviourinHIVinfectionwiththeuseofcurrentneuroimagingmethods.PartIII
concernsthementalfunctioningofpeoplelivingwithHIVaswellascomorbidmedical,psychologicaland
socialconditions.Theseissuesincludeemotional,cognitiveandsocialproblemsfacedbyHIV-infected
8
