Objective:To determine whether proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) demonstrates central nervous system abnormalities in asymptomatic HIV-1-infected individuals.Design:Both prospective and retrospective cross-sectional analyses of MRS in asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals.Setting:Two specialist HIV/AIDS outpatient facilities in London.Participants:Eighty-four HIV-1-seropositive asymptomatic men; 29 HIV-1 antibody-negative homosexual men at high-risk for HIV infection and 48 HIV-1 antibody-negative men at low-risk for HIV infection as controls.Main outcome measures:Single voxel, gradient-localized proton MRS performed at 1.5 T with a 135 msec echo-time and 1600 msec repeat-time in an 8 ml volume of interest positioned in the parieto-occipital white matter. Spectroscopic results were expressed as ratios between the areas under the N-acetyl (NA), creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho) resonance peaks.Results:There were no differences between those controls at high and those at low-risk for HIV infection. Comparing the combined control groups with the asymptomatic seropositive patients there were statistically significant differences in NA/Cho, NA/Cr (both P< 0.05) and NA/(NA + Cho + Cr) (P< 0.01).Conclusion:Abnormalities in cerebral biochemistry may be demonstrated by proton MRS during asymptomatic HIV-1 infection.