Elevated Depressive Symptoms Are a Stronger Predictor of Executive Dysfunction in HIV-Infected Women Than in Men

Leah H. Rubin, Gayle Springer, Eileen M. Martin, Eric C. Seaberg, Ned C. Sacktor, Andrew Levine, Victor G. Valcour, Mary A. Young, James T. Becker, Pauline M. Maki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background:HIV-infected (HIV+) women seem to be more vulnerable to neurocognitive impairment (NCI) 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 and Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.Methods:Eight hundred fifty-eight HIV+ (429 women; 429 men) and 562 HIV- (281 women; 281 men) completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (16 cutoff) Scale and measures of psychomotor speed/attention, executive, and motor function over multiple visits (or time points). Women's Interagency HIV Study and Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study 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 men, 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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)274-283
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
Volume81
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2019

Keywords

  • HIV
  • cognition
  • depression
  • men
  • women

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology (medical)

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