Erin E. Sundermann|Robert K. Heaton|Elizabeth Pasipanodya|Raeanne C. Moore|Emily W Paolillo|Leah H. Rubin|Ronald J. Ellis|David J. Moore
Sex differences in HIV-associated cognitive impairment
University of California, San Diego
determined whether sex differences prevalence profile hivassociated neurocognitive impairment whether sex moderates effect hivserostatus neurocognitive impairment among hivpositive hivnegative individuals secondarily assessed whether differences explained greater biopsychosocial risk factors hivpositive womenan observational cohort studyanalyses included 1361 hivpositive 204 women 702 hivnegative 214 women ages 1879 years participants ucsd hiv neurobehavioral research program demographically corrected standardized tscores 15 neuropsychological tests used calculate domainspecific global deficit scores gds gds least 05 defined neurocognitive impairment biopsychosocial risk factors included low education low reading level education quality lifetime substance use disorders depressed mood clinically significant depressive symptoms andor current major depressive disorder cumulative syndemic count sum biopsychosocial risk factors range 04 racestratified analyses conducted analyses adjusted relevant demographic clinical factorshivassociated neurocognitive impairment prevalent women versus men however difference eliminated adjustment reading level sexstratified logistic regressions association hivseropositivity higher likelihood neurocognitive impairment stronger women versus men however association attenuated women men adjusting reading level results overall sample specific blacks sex differences profile hivassociated neurocognitive impairment varied racewomen particularly black women atrisk hivassociated neurocognitive impairment higher rates hivassociated neurocognitive impairment women versus men may reflect differences educational quality