Research
Neurobehavioral Function in HIV Seropositive Women

Investigator: Eileen Martin, Ph.D.

Neurobehavioral complications of HIV-1 infection have significant implications for the ability to live independently, meet the demands of parenting and other life tasks, and adhere with complex antiretroviral treatment regimens. Available data suggest that women are at elevated risk for HIV-related dementia and other neurologic complications. However, there are few published data available on the neurocognitive status of women with HIV or how impaired cognition interacts with variables such as psychological distress and drug history to affect daily function.

The Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) is a multicenter interdisciplinary NIH-funded study of disease progression in a sample of 2000 HIV-infected women and approximately 600 HIV-negative controls. The current project is a funded substudy of the Chicago WIHS. The specific aims of this project are to evaluate neurocognitive function, self-reported distress, and substance abuse severity and examine how these variables are associated with quality of life in a group of HIV-seropositive and seronegative women.