For the renewal period, the previous Neuropsychology (NP) Core and memory Project will be combined within one unit, which will address common aims in a more efficient and integrated fashion. Based upon our findings so far, we have been able to devise a briefer test battery that includes the essential components of the standard clinical test battery as well s more experimental NP tests selected for their relevance to subcortical rain pathology. In the next 5 years we propose to focus on the longer term temporal and spatial (anatomic) progression of the NP deficits associated with HIV infection. Particularly, using our large cohort of dated seroconverters, we will chart the incidence and prevalence of both general and specific NP impairments at each year after infection. NP status and its changes will be related to potentially important host and viral factors, in addition to functional and structural brain imaging in life, and postmortem measures of regionally specific CNS viral burden and damage. Finally, we will further explore the everyday life significance of mild NP impairments in HIV+persons who are medically asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic; this will be done by comparing matched NP impaired and unimpaired subjects with respect to changes in employment status and performance on standardized work samples. In addition to testing specific hypotheses regarding the NP impairment associated with HIV infection, the new NP Core will continue to provide comprehensive neurobehavioral data for comparison with data from all other core study components and individual projects within the Center.
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