An Open Trial of Zidovudine (AZT) Treatment of the AIDS Dementia Complex in Patients With AIDS or Low CD4+ Lymphocyte Counts

Inclusion Criteria Concurrent Medication: Allowed: * Prophylactic therapy for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP); aerosol pentamidine is the preferred method. * Maintenance anticonvulsant therapy following a seizure in the context of the AIDS dementia complex. * Patients taking anticonvulsants should have their anticonvulsant blood levels measured prior to starting zidovudine (AZT) or with changes in AZT dosage. * Phenytoin, carbamazepine, and valproic acid. * Judicious use of benzodiazepams. * For analgesia or fever, modest doses of aspirin, Tylenol, or ibuprofen. * Use of major mood or central nervous system altering drugs is discouraged and should be documented. Patients with the following are included: * An estimated pre-illness IQ = or \> 70. * A general neurodiagnostic evaluation before entry which will include a computerized tomographic (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and a lumbar puncture. * Stable or indolently progressive mucocutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma with \< 25 lesions and onset of \< 10 new lesions during the 30-day period prior to study entry. * Chronic seizure disorders requiring anticonvulsant therapy as long as the seizures are not associated with a fixed neurologic deficit. * A blood HIV culture and p24 antigen capture assay at the time of the lumbar puncture. A second p24 antigen assay on study entry. Informed consent form must be signed by the patient, legal guardian, or parent. Active substance abuse that would limit a patient's…