Background: Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has improved the survival of patients with HIV/AIDS but its impact remains uncertain on the changing prevalence and incidence of neurologic disorders with ensuing effects on mortality.

Methods: The prevalence and incidence of neurologic disorders were examined in patients receiving active care in a regional HIV care program from 1998 to 2008. The mortality hazard ratio (HR) was calculated by Cox proportional hazard models with adjustment for demographic and clinical variables.

Results: Of 1,651 HIV-infected patients assessed, 404 (24.5%) were identified as having one or more neurologic disorders, while 41% of AIDS-affected persons exhibited neurologic disease. Symptomatic distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP, 10.0%) and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND, 6.2%) represented the most prevalent disorders among 53 recognized neurologic disorders. Patients with at least one neurologic disorder exhibited higher mortality rates (17.6% vs 8.0%, p < 0.0001), particularly AIDS-related deaths (9.7% vs 3.2%, p < 0.0001), compared with those without neurologic disorders. The highest mortality HR was associated with opportunistic infections of CNS (HR 5.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5–11.2), followed by HAND (HR 3.1, 95% CI 1.8–5.3) and the presence of any neurologic disorder (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2–3.2). The risk of AIDS-related death with a neurologic disorder was increased by 13.3% per 100 cells/mm³ decrement in blood CD4+ T-cell levels or by 39% per 10-fold increment in plasma viral load.

Conclusions: The burden and type of HIV-related neurologic disease have evolved over the past decade and despite the availability of cART, neurologic disorders occur frequently and predict an increased risk of death.