Self-Reported Decline in Everyday Function, Cognitive Symptoms, and Cognitive Function in People With HIV

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Infectious Diseases
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Understanding cognitive impairment in adults living with HIV is crucial for managing their health.
• Self-reported difficulties in daily activities and cognitive symptoms are common concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with self-reported decline in activities of daily living (ADLs) and cognitive impairment symptoms.
• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of questionnaires for cognitive impairment in HIV-positive adults.

Main Methods:

• HIV-positive adults completed neuropsychological tests and questionnaires on cognitive symptoms and ADLs.
• Regression analyses identified factors linked to ADL decline and cognitive symptoms.
• Diagnostic accuracy of questionnaires for cognitive impairment was estimated.

Main Results:

• 21.4% of participants reported cognitive-related ADL decline.
• Self-reported ADL decline and cognitive symptoms correlated with poorer cognitive test performance.
• Financial difficulties, depression, anxiety, unemployment, and longer time since HIV diagnosis were strongly associated.

Conclusions:

• Patient self-assessments of function and symptoms align with objective cognitive measures.
• Psychosocial factors like mood disorders and socioeconomic hardship significantly impact cognitive health in HIV.
• These findings are vital for clinical and research assessments of HIV-associated cognitive impairment.