HIV and Aging Cohort – Impact on Brain Health

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Summary

  • Study director: Victor Valcour, MD
  • Sponsors: Dementia in HIV Patients of 60 Years of Age (K23 AG032872) from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health; Cognitive Impairment in HIV over 60 Years of Age funded in part by the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF, Carl L. Gaylord Estate funds and by the UCSF-Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology Center for AIDS Research (CFAR, P30-AI027763); Cognitive Health and Brain Vulnerability in Aging Insulin Resistant patients funded by the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation; Additional support is received from the UCSF General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) which is supported by NIH/NCRR UCSF-CTSI Grant Number UL1 RR024131
  • Recruiting?: Yes, we are actively recruiting patients from the greater San Francisco Bay Area
  • Official study title: Cognitive health and brain vulnerability in aging insulin resistant patients
  • Condition studied: HIV infection in people over 60 years of age
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if insulin resistance causes a unique pattern of cognitive impairment, study the effects of HIV on cognition in people over 60 years of age and study the corresponding neurological changes (via MRI imaging and volumetric analysis).

Eligibility

  • Inclusion criteria: To qualify for the study, you must meet these requirements:
    1. HIV+
    2. 60 or more years old
    3. Have never had a brain infection
    4. Do not have Hepatitis C infection
    5. Do not abuse drugs
  • Exclusion criteria: To qualify for the study, you must not have:
    1. Metal in body
    2. A pacemaker
    3. Back pain that would prohibit lying on back for two hours
    4. Had a stroke
    5. Had a brain infection
    6. Hepatitis C
  • All patients will be co-enrolled into the ADRC, which has the following exclusion criteria:
    1. MMSE <15
    2. Abrupt onset of cognitive impairment, ictal events or head trauma
    3. Significant CNS effects of cerebrovascular disease
    4. Known significant mass lesions on neuroimaging, hydrocephalus, demyelinating disease, focal inflammatory or infectious disease or recent or remote intracerebral hemorrhage
    5. History of encephalitis or meningitis
    6. Substance abuse (including alcohol) or dependence
    7. Metabolic or systemic abnormailities wiht possible impact on cognition
    8. Active systemic illnesses such as cancer or end-stage cardiac insufficiency
    9. Inability to cooperate with testing procedures
  • HIV patients will also be excluded if they have any past brain opportunistic infection (e.g., cryptococcal meningitis, toxoplasmosis) or if IV drug use is the primary risk for contracting HIV infection.

What is Involved?

  • Testing: Memory and thinking tests, neurological examination, brain MRI, fasting blood draw, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) if requested by Dr. Valcour, contact with a person who knows you well and can provide information about your memory and annual follow-up
  • Frequency of visits: Annually
  • Materials needed prior to evaluation: Diagnosis of HIV
  • Costs: No costs will be charged for any of the study procedures. Participants are compensated $50 for their time for the primary visit and $50 for the MRI. When possible, a $5 gift card is provided once the fasting blood draw is complete.

Contact Information

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