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Half of the people living with HIV have cognitive deficits indicative of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HANDs). With few treatment options, informing patients about a HAND diagnosis is a questionable practice. A sample of 139 people living with HIV were administered gold-standard cognitive tests; scores were used to determine whether they met cognitive criteria for HAND. Participants were informed that they met the criteria for HAND and asked 2 open-ended questions about their reactions to learning this information. Participant responses were recorded verbatim and coded into 3 overarching themes: positive, indifferent, and negative. Positive responses contained subthemes of confirmation, gratitude, desire for improvement, and curiosity. Indifferent responses contained nonreactive responses, apathy, and confusion. Negative responses contained surprise, discontentment, fear, and denial. Although most participants responded positively to feedback about HANDs, others experienced distress. Nurse clinicians should be mindful about informing patients if they have HAND while also educating them about brain health.

Cognitive impairment is known to increase with aging in people living with HIV (PLWH). Impairment in cognitive domains required for safe driving may put PLWH at risk for poor driving outcomes, decreased mobility, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study described the driving behaviors of middle-aged and older PLWH and examined correlations between driving behaviors and cognitive functioning (Aim 1), and driving behaviors and HRQoL domains (Aim 2). A sample of 260 PLWH ages 40 and older completed a comprehensive assessment including a battery of cognitive tests, an HRQoL measure, and a measure of self-reported driving habits. Associations between driving habits, cognitive function, and HRQoL domains were examined. While 212 (81.54%) participants reported currently driving, only 166 (63.85%) possessed a driver's license. Several significant correlations emerged between driving habits and both cognitive and HRQoL variables, with a general pattern suggesting that current greater driving exposure was associated with better cognitive functioning and HRQoL. Given consistent associations that emerged between the social functioning HRQoL domain and several driving habits, multivariable regression was conducted to examine the unique association between an index of greater driving exposure (i.e., days driven per week) and social functioning, adjusting for potential confounders (race, income, education, depression, and global cognition). Results showed that more days driven per week was a significant, independent correlate of higher social functioning. Understanding the factors underlying driving behaviors in PLWH may contribute to interventions to promote better mobility and improved access to care.

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Introduction Sleepiness has been associated with functional and cognitive decline, and may present with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and/or increased sleep duration. We investigated whether sleepiness and changes in sleep patterns are associated with FDG-PET levels in wake-promoting regions. Methods From the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging cohort, we identified 373 cognitively-unimpaired middle-aged and older adults (mean +/- s.d. 66.1 +/- 13.2 yo) who underwent FDG-PET. EDS was defined as ESS score >=10. Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping more, less, or no change) were assessed using question #16 of the Beck Depression Inventory-2. We used probabilistic maps to create regions of interest (ROIs): the locus coeruleus (LC), posterior lateral hypothalamus (PLH), and the basal forebrain divided in 1) medial septum/diagonal band of Broca (MS/DB) and 2) nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM). FDG-PET levels were referenced to the pons (SUVR). In this cross-sectional analysis, we fit linear models to assess the association between EDS and changes in sleeping patterns with FDG SUVR in in each ROI, while controlling for age, sex, education, BMI, witnessed apneas, and cardiovascular risk factors. Results 10.5% had EDS, 15% reported sleeping more and 21% reported sleeping less than usual. 30.7% of participants with EDS reported sleeping more, 25.6% less, and 43.5% the same. EDS was associated with an elevation in FDG-PET SUVR in the MS/DB region (.035 [95% CI .008; .063], p=.012), while sleeping more was associated with a decrease in FDG-PET SUVR in the same region (-.027 [95%CI -.052; -.002], p=.036). Sleeping less was associated with an increase in FDG-PET SUVR in the PLH (.021 [95% CI .005; .03], p=.019). No associations were found in other ROIs. Conclusion Our results suggest that sleepiness and changes in sleep patterns in cognitively-unimpaired middle-aged and older adults were associated with measurable metabolic changes in areas of the brain involved in sleep and wakefulness. Further research should clarify whether these findings could represent different phenotypes of sleepiness with potential diagnostic and prognostic implications. Support NIA/NIH