Discovery in 1989 that the presence of HIV in the fluid surrounding the brain (cerebrospinal fluid) is directly related to the presence of symptoms of dementia like loss of memory and attention. Simultaneously it was found that treatment with zidovudine (AZT) having a modest but detectable reducing effect on virus load, resulted in the disappearance of AIDS dementia in the developed world (Portegies, BMJ, 1989 ). Currently it appears that AIDS-dementia is on the way back in the developed world because the newest AIDS drugs enter the brain less well than zidovudine.
Discovery in 1990 that was none, left a major scar and started a dry spell of about 15 years. This occurred one year after becoming appointed
professor of virology and ended when this appointment ended (2002) and JG moved to Crucell concomitant with his appointment in the Internal Medicine
Department of the AMC as professor of Poverty-related Communicable Diseases (2002).
Publication:
PORTEGIES, P., DE GANS, J., LANGE, J.M., DERIX, M.M., SPEELMAN, H.,
BAKKER, M., DANNER, S.A., and GOUDSMIT, J. (1989).
Declining incidence of AIDS dementia complex after introduction of zidovudine treatment.
BMJ 299 (6703): 819-821.
PubMed publication date: Sep 30, 1989
PubMed link to abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2510843
PDF: BMJ_1989_299_6703_819_Portegies