B.R.A.I.N in People Living With HIV Study

People living with HIV (PLWH) often have memory and thinking problems, which can range from mild to severe. These problems, which are called neurocognitive impairment (NCI), can appear even when PLWH are taking medicine to manage their HIV. PLWH who are experiencing NCI can have difficulties managing everyday activities. For instance, they might not remember to take their medicine on time, they might struggle to manage their money properly, and they might even be at a higher risk of passing HIV on to other. Ultimately, PLWH who are experiencing NCI might not enjoy life as much as others do. Currently, there are no specific medicines designed to treat NCI in PLWH. There are, however, some useful memory and thinking strategies that can help improve cognitive abilities. These strategies are called cognitive remediation (CR). In South Africa, there are many PLWH. Unfortunately, the country does not have clear plans for identifying and managing NCI in PLWH. It's difficult to use CR in South Africa because of cultural differences between where the strategies were developed and the patients who might need to use it, limited healthcare resources, and HIV clinics not having enough information about NCI. There are, however, some promising ways to deal with these issues. For example, it can be helpful to involve regular counselors and to use simple tests on mobile phones to find people who need assistance. With some effort and creativity, investigators can improve the situation and …

This description comes directly from the study's public registry record.

Hetta Gouse, PhD  ·  +642102064321  ·  hetta.gouse@uct.ac.za

Kevin GF Thomas, PhD  ·  +27827748517  ·  kevin.thomas@uct.ac.za

Always discuss trial participation with your own doctor first.

Get one email when the public record changes — results posted, or the study's status changes. Nothing else, ever.

We email about this public record only. Unsubscribe anytime with one click. Never medical advice.