INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster

Poster Session 09 Program Schedule

02/16/2024
03:30 pm - 04:45 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 09: Epilepsy | Oncology | MS | Infectious Disease


Final Abstract #82

Implications of Vascular Depression for Successful Cognitive Aging in HIV Disease

Andrea Mustafa, University of Houston, Houston, United States
Ilex Beltran-Najera, University of Houston, Houston, United States
Darrian Evans, University of Houston, Houston, United States
Alexandria Bartlett, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Vonetta Dotson, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Steven Woods, University of Houston, Houston, United States

Category: Infectious Disease (HIV/COVID/Hepatitis/Viruses)

Keyword 1: cognitive functioning
Keyword 2: depression
Keyword 3: cardiovascular disease

Objective:

Although older adults with HIV are at high risk for mild neurocognitive disorders, a subset experience successful cognitive aging (SCA). HIV is associated with an increased risk of vascular depression, which can affect cognitive and daily functioning. The current study examined whether vascular depression impedes SCA among older adults with HIV.

Participants and Methods:

Participants included 136 persons with HIV aged 50 years and older who were classified as either SCA+ (n=37) or SCA- (n=99) based on their performance on a battery of demographically adjusted neurocognitive tests and self-reported cognitive symptoms. Participants were also stratified on the presence of cardiovascular disease (e.g., hypertension) and current depression as determined by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the Depression/Dejection scale of the Profile of Mood States.

Results:

A Cochran-Armitage test revealed a significant additive effect of vascular disease and depression on SCA in this sample of older adults with HIV (z=4.13, p<.0001). Individuals with both vascular disease and depression had the lowest frequency of SCA (0%), which differed significantly from the group with only vascular disease (30%, OR=0.04, CI=0.002,0.68)) and the group with neither vascular disease nor depression (47% OR =0.02, CI=0.33,0.001). Findings were not confounded by demographics, HIV disease severity, or other psychiatric and medical factors (ps>.05).

Conclusions:

These cross-sectional data suggest that presence of vascular depression may be a barrier to successful cognitive aging in older adults with HIV disease. Longitudinal studies with neuroimaging-based operationalizations of vascular depression are needed to clarify this risk factor’s role in cognitive aging in HIV.