Evaluating Cross-Sectional Associations Between Cannabis Use and Prospective Memory in People with HIV

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Prospective memory (PM) deficits are prevalent in people with HIV (PWH), impacting clinical outcomes.
• Risk factors for PM deficits in PWH remain largely unknown.
• Cannabis use is linked to poorer PM in the general population, but its effect in PWH is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between regular cannabis use and PM performance in PWH.
• To explore specific cannabis use variables (THC dose, frequency, duration, age of first use, motivation) and their relationship with PM in PWH.

Main Methods:

• 307 PWH completed the Memory for Intentions Test (MIST).
• Participants were categorized by regular cannabis use versus no/minimal lifetime use.
• Linear regressions adjusted for age and reading ability were used to analyze associations.

Main Results:

• Regular cannabis use was not significantly associated with MIST scores in PWH, even after adjusting for confounders.
• No significant associations were found between cumulative THC dose, use frequency, duration, or age of first use and PM performance.
• A trend suggested that combined recreational and therapeutic cannabis use might be associated with better MIST performance compared to predominantly recreational use.

Conclusions:

• Cannabis use does not appear to be a significant factor in prospective memory deficits among PWH.
• The motivation behind cannabis use (recreational vs. therapeutic) warrants further investigation for its potential impact on PM in PWH.