Psychological grit moderates the relation between lifetime stressor exposure and functional outcomes among HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative adults.

The ability to maintain functional independence throughout the lifespan may be diminished among medically compromised and chronically stressed populations. People living with HIV are more likely to demonstrate functional impairment and report greater exposure to lifetime and chronic stressors than their seronegative counterparts. It is well-known that exposure to stressors and adversity is associated with functional impairment outcomes.

Engagement, Use, and Impact of Digital Mental Health Resources for Diverse Populations in COVID-19: Community-Partnered Evaluation.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic increased disparities for communities burdened by structural barriers such as reduced affordable housing, with mental health consequences. Limited data are available on digital resources for public mental health prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The study aim was to evaluate engagement in and impact of free digital resources on the Together for Wellness/Juntos por Nuestro Bienestar (T4W/Juntos) website during COVID-19 in California.

Prefrontal Cortex Volume Mediates the Relationship Between Lifetime Chronic Stressor Exposure and Cognition in People Living With and Without HIV.

Objective: Despite considerable research documenting how stress affects brain and neurobehavioral outcomes, few studies have assessed stressor exposure occurring over the entire life span, and no studies have investigated these associations in people living with HIV (PLWH), despite the high stress and disease burden experienced by this population. To address this issue, we examined how cumulative lifetime chronic stressor exposure related to cognition and brain integrity (i.e.

Racial differences in health and cognition as a function of HIV among older adults.

The present study investigated the contribution of health risk factors (using the Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI]) on cognitive outcomes in a sample of 380 HIV-positive (HIV+;  = 221) and HIV-seronegative (HIV-;  = 159) African American and European American adults aged 50+. Participants were recruited from HIV clinics and community advertisements. HIV status was confirmed by serological testing.

Socioeconomic Mobility and Psychological and Cognitive Functioning in a Diverse Sample of Adults With and Without HIV.

Objective: This cross-sectional study examined the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) mobility from childhood to adulthood on psychological and cognitive well-being in African American and non-Hispanic White HIV-positive (HIV+) and HIV-seronegative (HIV-) adults who are part of an ongoing study investigating psychosocial and neurobehavioral effects of HIV.

Methods: Participants (N = 174, 24.1% female, 59.

Creating an antiracist psychology by addressing professional complicity in psychological assessment.

The acceptance of racist practices in psychological assessment, like the use of racist stimuli in testing material, has gone unchallenged for far too long. Such practices are emblematic of the entrenched systems of structural racism and pernicious presence of anti-Black oppression within psychology and beyond. This article brings into focus one glaring example: the inclusion of a noose as an item in one of the most widely used standardized tests in neuropsychology-the Boston Naming Test.

Suubi+Adherence-Round 2: A study protocol to examine the longitudinal HIV treatment adherence among youth living with HIV transitioning into young adulthood in Southern Uganda.

Background: Youth living with HIV (YLHIV) in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) are less likely to adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and other health-related regimens. As a consequence, YLHIV are not only at risk for health problems and mental health comorbidities, but are also at risk for cognitive deficits, including in areas of memory and executive functioning. The Suubi+Adherence study followed 702 adolescents (10-16 years of age) receiving bolstered standard of care and a family economic empowerment intervention comprising an incentivized youth financial savings account (YSA) augmented with financial literacy training (FLT) and peer mentorship.

Association of Immunosuppression and Viral Load With Subcortical Brain Volume in an International Sample of People Living With HIV.

Importance: Despite more widely accessible combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), HIV-1 infection remains a global public health challenge. Even in treated patients with chronic HIV infection, neurocognitive impairment often persists, affecting quality of life. Identifying the neuroanatomical pathways associated with infection in vivo may delineate the neuropathologic processes underlying these deficits.

The influence of posttraumatic stress on memory complaints in neuropsychological settings.

Memory problems are a frequent complaint in neuropsychological settings, particularly among individuals in mid-to-late adulthood and those who have experienced neurological insult (e.g., head trauma; Bay et al.

HIV, Vascular Risk Factors, and Cognition in the Combination Antiretroviral Therapy Era: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Mounting evidence indicates that vascular risk factors (VRFs) are elevated in HIV and play a significant role in the development and persistence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder. Given the increased longevity of people living with HIV (PLWH), there is a great need to better elucidate vascular contributions to neurocognitive impairment in HIV. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine relationships between traditional VRFs, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cognition in PLWH in the combination antiretroviral therapy era.

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Targeting Neuroinflammation with Ibudilast to Treat Methamphetamine Use Disorder.

Methamphetamine (MA) triggers neuroinflammation and medications that counteract MA-induced neuroinflammation may reduce MA-induced neurodegeneration and improve neurocognition and treatment outcomes in MA use disorder. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine the safety and efficacy of ibudilast (IBUD), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that reduces neuroinflammation, for the treatment of MA use disorder. Treatment-seeking volunteers with MA use disorder were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of IBUD 50 mg twice daily (N = 64) or placebo (N = 61) with medication management counseling.

The joint effect of aging and HIV infection on microstructure of white matter bundles.

Recent evidence suggests the aging process is accelerated by HIV. Degradation of white matter (WM) has been independently associated with HIV and healthy aging. Thus, WM may be vulnerable to joint effects of HIV and aging.

Experienced discrimination and racial differences in leukocyte gene expression.

Racial disparities in health outcomes between African Americans and European Americans have been well-documented, but not fully understood. Chronic inflammation contributes to several of the diseases showing racial disparities (e.g.

Effects of trauma, economic hardship, and stress on neurocognition and everyday function in HIV.

Objective: The causes of neurocognitive and everyday functioning impairment among aging people living with HIV (PLWH) are multifactorial. Exposure to stress and trauma can result in neurocognitive deficits via activation of neurological and other biological mechanisms.

Method: PLWH (n = 122) and persons without HIV (n = 95), 35-65 years of age, completed four questionnaires that were used to generate a trauma, economic hardship (food insecurity and low socioeconomic status), and stress composite variable (TES).

Differential relationships between cannabis consumption and sleep health as a function of HIV status.

Background: There is evidence that regular cannabis use has negative effects on sleep health. Relative to HIV- populations, HIV + individuals consistently report greater sleep impairments. The number of HIV + individuals reporting frequent cannabis use, often to treat sleep issues, has significantly increased recently.

Effects of Sleep Health on Cognitive Function in HIV+ and HIV- Adults.

Objectives: People living with HIV (PLWH) are more likely to report sleep difficulties and cognitive deficits. While cognitive impairment associated with sleep problems have been found in healthy and medical populations, less is known about the effects of poor sleep health (SH) on cognition among PLWH. This study examined differences in cognitive performance among participants classified based upon their HIV status and reported SH.

Sexual Health Behavior and Mental Health Among Older African American Women: The Sistahs, Sexuality, and Mental Health Well-Being Project.

Background: In Los Angeles County, the rates of sexually transmitted infections and diseases among African Americans represent a significant public health disparity. Older African American women are at particular risk as they are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors and report social isolation and loneliness than their younger counterparts. However, the literature on the relationship between sexual health and mental health in this group is limited.

An augmented aging process in brain white matter in HIV.

Objective: HIV infection and aging are both associated with neurodegeneration. However, whether the aging process alone or other factors associated with advanced age account for the progression of neurodegeneration in the aging HIV-positive (HIV+) population remains unclear.

Methods: HIV+ (n = 70) and HIV-negative (HIV-, n = 34) participants underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and metrics of microstructural properties were extracted from regions of interest (ROIs).

Longitudinal intra-individual variability in neuropsychological performance relates to white matter changes in HIV.

Objectives: Recent studies suggest that intraindividual variability (IIV) of neuropsychological performance may be sensitive to HIV-associated neurologic compromise. IIV may be particularly dependent upon the integrity of frontal-subcortical systems, and therefore may be a meaningful phenotype in HIV. We examined the relationship between change in IIV and white matter integrity among HIV seropositive (HIV+) and HIV seronegative (HIV-) individuals.

Improvements in brain and behavior following eradication of hepatitis C.

Despite recent advances in treatment, hepatitis C remains a significant public health problem. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is known to infiltrate the brain, yet findings from studies on associated neurocognitive and neuropathological changes are mixed. Furthermore, it remains unclear if HCV eradication improves HCV-associated neurological compromise.

Effects of social adversity and HIV on subcortical shape and neurocognitive function.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the independent and interactive effects of social adversity (SA) and HIV infection on subcortical shape alterations and cognitive functions. Participants included HIV+ (n = 70) and HIV- (n = 23) individuals who underwent MRI, neurocognitive and clinical assessment, in addition to completing questionnaires from which responses were used to create an SA score. Bilateral amygdalae and hippocampi were extracted from T1-weighted images.