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Neural correlates of working memory training in HIV patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
L Chang1, G C Løhaugen2,3, V Douet4
1Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, The Queen's Medical Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1356 Lusitana Street, 7th Floor UH Tower, Honolulu, HI, USA. lchang@hawaii.edu.
Trials
|February 3, 2016
Summary
Working memory training may improve cognitive function in individuals with HIV, potentially slowing the progression of neurocognitive disorders. Genotype may influence training effectiveness, paving the way for personalized therapies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) present significant challenges despite combined antiretroviral therapy.
- Working memory and attention deficits are common in HIV patients, impacting daily living and well-being.
- Effective treatments for HAND are urgently needed due to its high economic burden and impact on quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if adaptive working memory training improves cognitive functions and neural network efficiency in HIV patients.
- To assess the potential of working memory training to decrease neuroinflammation.
- To investigate if the LMX1A-rs4657412 TT(AA) genotype is associated with greater training effects.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, active-controlled study randomizing 120 participants (60 HIV-infected, 60 controls) to adaptive or non-adaptive Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT).
- Assessment includes cognitive tasks, mood/executive function questionnaires, functional MRI (fMRI), and cerebrospinal fluid analysis for inflammatory markers and monoamines.
- Genotyping for LMX1A-rs4657412 will identify genotype-specific responses to CWMT.
Main Results:
- (Study ongoing, results not yet available)
Conclusions:
- Working memory training (CWMT) may offer a safe adjunctive therapy for HAND by potentially slowing disease progression.
- fMRI may reveal how CWMT modulates neural networks, offering insights into brain activation changes.
- Identifying genotype-specific benefits could lead to personalized working memory training strategies for HIV patients and potentially other neurological disorders.
