Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Elevated depressive symptoms are a stronger predictor of executive dysfunction in HIV-infected women than men.

BACKGROUND: HIV-infected (HIV+) women appear to be more vulnerable to neurocognitive impairment than HIV+ men, perhaps in part due to mental health factors. We assessed the association between elevated depressive symptoms and NCI among HIV+ and HIV-uninfected (HIV-) women and men.

SETTING: Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) and Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS).

METHODS: 858 HIV+ (429 women; 429 men) and 562 HIV- (281 women; 281 men) completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D; 16 cutoff) scale and measures of psychomotor speed/attention, executive, and motor function over multiple visits (or time points). WIHS and MACS participants were matched according to HIV status, age, race/ethnicity, and education. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine interactions between biological sex, HIV-serostatus, and depression on impairment (T-scores<40) after covariate adjustment.

RESULTS: Despite a higher frequency of depression among males, the association between depression and executive function differed by sex and HIV-serostatus. HIV+ women with depression had 5 times the odds of impairment on a measure of executive control and inhibition versus HIV- depressed women, and 3 times the odds of impairment on that measure versus HIV+ depressed men. Regardless of group status, depression was associated with greater impairment on processing speed, executive (mental flexibility), and motor function (P's<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Depression contributes to NCI across a broad range of cognitive domains in HIV+ and HIV- individuals, but HIV+ depressed women show greater vulnerabilities in executive function. Treating depression may help to improve cognition in patients with HIV infection.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app