Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome dementia complex (ADC) is a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related brain syndrome, which is caused by HIV invading the central nervous system. ADC may have impacts on patient’s consciousness, behavior and exercise ability. Although cognitive deficit is associated with around 50% of HIV-infected people, the pathogenesis of ADC has not been clarified, and the diagnosis is still unclear. Proteomic technology can provide new clues for the diagnosis, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of ADC due to its high sensitivity and high throughput capacity. In this paper, the progress of proteomic studies on ADC in the last 5 years is reviewed.