| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Published Abstract | | Title: Everyday functioning in individuals with HIV-associated neuropsychological impairment. | | Authors: Heaton R, Moore D, Marcotte T, Reicks C, Weinberg K, Grant I, and the HNRC Group | | Year: 2001 | | Publication: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society | | Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Pages: 229 | | Abstract:Traditional neuropsychological (NP) tests have been shown to be sensitive to cognitive impairment in HIV infection; however, the relationship of such impairment to activities of daily living needs further exploration. The objective of the current study was to determine if HIV-related NP deficits are related to complaints of everyday cognitive difficulties and to laboratory measures of vocational functioning and other activities of daily living. Method:We examined 255 HIV+ participants. Based upon results on a comprehensive NP battery, participants were classified as NP impaired (NPI; n = 98) or NP normal (NPN; n = 157). The NPI and NPN groups were similar with respect to age, education, gender, disease stage, and percent with an AIDS diagnosis. Results: The NPI group had significantly more cognitive complaints, were less likely to be currently employed, and had lower scores on standardized work samples than the NPN group. In addition, the NPI group was more likely to fail laboratory measures of activities of daily living that assessed skills related to medication management, meal preparation, and financial management, among others. More NP deficits (as measured by a greater number of impaired NP ability areas) predicted greater likelihood of failure on the laboratory measures of activities of daily living. Overall, global NP ratings of impairment were accurate in predicting performance on all laboratory measures of activities of daily living (range 64.7–84.1%). The NP ability areas of abstraction, verbal
skills, learning, and motor skills appear to have the strongest relationship
with impaired performance on measures of activities of daily living.
Conclusion: Even relatively mild HIV-associated NP impairment is associated
with both subjective and objective evidence of decreased everyday
functioning. |
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