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Abstract
To determine the relationships among body mass index (BMI), and HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment and the potential mediating effects of inflammatory cytokines. Among the HIV-infected individuals (N = 90) included in this study, obesity was associated with slower processing speed (β = −.229, standard error (SE) = 2.15, p = .033), compared to participants with a normal BMI, after controlling for psychosocial and HIV clinical factors. Serum concentrations of the interleukin-16 (IL-16) cytokine were significantly associated with slowed processing speed (β = −.235, SE = 1.62, p = .033) but did not mediate the relationship between obesity and processing speed These findings suggest that obesity may contribute to cognitive processing speed deficits in HIV-infected adults. Elevated concentrations of IL-16 are also associated with slowing, though the results suggest that obesity and IL-16 may exert independent effects.
Acknowledgements
Primary support for this project came from the National Institutes of Mental Health, R01 MH074368 ‘Age Effects on HIV-Associated Brain Dysfunction’ and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA; P01 AA019072) to Dr. Cohen. The McKnight Brain Research Foundation also provides an endowment to Dr. Cohen which supports his Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory at UF. Dr. Cook also received support from NIAAA, U24AA02002 (Robert Cook, PI). This research was facilitated by the infrastructure and resources provided by the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (P01 AA019072) and the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI042853), and also The Miriam Hospital Infectious Medicine Clinic. The authors would like to thank our participants who graciously volunteered their time. Chukwuemeka Okafor received support from NIDA, F31DA0398101 (Chukwuemeka Okafor).