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Are time- and event-based prospective memory comparably affected in HIV infection?
Jennifer B Zogg1, Steven Paul Woods, Erica Weber
1Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
Summary
Individuals with HIV show comparable deficits in time- and event-based prospective memory (ProM). However, time-based ProM relies more on executive functions, which are often impacted by HIV.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Infectious Diseases
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Prospective memory (ProM) involves remembering to perform actions in the future.
- Time-based ProM tasks are thought to engage prefrontal systems more than event-based ProM.
- HIV infection impacts frontostriatal systems, potentially affecting ProM differently based on task type.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether individuals with HIV exhibit greater deficits in time-based versus event-based prospective memory.
- To explore the relationship between prospective memory subtypes and executive functions in people with HIV.
Main Methods:
- 143 individuals with HIV and 43 HIV-negative controls completed the Memory for Intentions Screening Test.
- The test provided parallel subscales for time- and event-based prospective memory.
- Correlations with executive functions, attention/working memory, and verbal fluency were assessed.
Main Results:
- No significant interaction was found between HIV serostatus and cue type (time vs. event) for prospective memory deficits.
- HIV infection significantly impacted time-based ProM and showed a trend for event-based ProM, particularly in those with neurocognitive disorders.
- Time-based ProM demonstrated stronger correlations with executive functions in the HIV-infected group.
Conclusions:
- HIV-associated deficits in time- and event-based prospective memory appear to be of similar severity.
- The cognitive architecture of time-based prospective memory may be more sensitive to strategic monitoring and retrieval processes affected by HIV.
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