Document Type
Article - pre-print
Publication Date
2018
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is a critical component of many neurocognitive functions. The literature has demonstrated consistently that WM impairment is more frequent and severe among substance-dependent individuals (SDIs) infected with HIV compared with uninfected SDIs; however, the SDIs who participated in these previous studies were primarily male. There are few published data on WM performance among HIV+ women with or without substance use disorders, and essentially no direct comparisons of WM performance between HIV+ men and women, regardless of substance use. We investigated potential sex and serostatus effects on WM among a sample of 360 SDIs (114 with HIV; 66% female) verified abstinent from alcohol and drugs of abuse at testing and generally comparable on substance use and comorbid characteristics. Participants were tested with the n-back task, a well-established WM measure that is sensitive to HIV-associated cognitive impairment. HIV+ men and women performed spatial and verbal versions of the n-back significantly less accurately compared with HIV− participants. Women showed slower response times compared with men on both versions, regardless of HIV serostatus. Individuals dependent on cocaine showed faster RTs compared with non-dependent users, but this effect was not apparent among opioid- or alcohol-dependent groups. Findings on n-back accuracy are consistent with our previous proposal that WM impairment represents a signature deficit among HIV+ SDIs; however, WM impairment appears less common among HIV+ women without a substance use history. The pattern of sex differences in response speed but serostatus effects on response accuracy is comparable to a recent report by our group of sex differences in learning speed but serostatus effects on delayed recall.
Original Publication Citation
Martin, E., Keutmann, M. K., Fogel, J. S., Maki, P. M., Gonzalez, R., Vassileva, J., Rubin, L. H., & Hardy, D. (2018). Verbal and spatial working memory among drug-using HIV-infected men and women. Journal of NeuroVirology, 24(4), 488–497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13365-018-0639-z
Digital Commons @ LMU & LLS Citation
Martin, Eileen; Keutmann, M. K.; Fogel, J. S.; Maki, P. M.; Gonzalez, R.; Vassileva, J.; Rubin, L. H.; and Hardy, David, "Verbal and spatial working memory among drug-using HIV-infected men and women" (2018). Psychological Science Faculty Works. 123.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/psyc_fac/123
