Doctor world

HIV infection and alcohol drinking habits may cause short-term memory until doubled. That's according to new research findings.


The study, published in the internet version of the first edition of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that more than half of HIV patients in the clinic is also a heavy alcohol drinker and they seemed more troubled by the short-term memory, while long-term memory was not affected.


"The results show that people are able to withhold information for a while, which gives the impression that still can remember the information, while scores of immediate memory is lower, suggesting that these difficulties associated with the ability to learn, or recognize, the information," the study authors Edith V. Sullivan, professor of psychiatric faculty and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine said in a press release issued by the journal publisher.



Inability to learn can affect many aspects of a person's life, including routines to abide by the treatment that helps fight HIV, Sara Jo Nixon, professor of psychiatric faculty at the University of Florida said in a press release the same. Strategies to help these patients need to be applied, he added.