Publication Abstract Display
Type: Published Abstract
Title: Visualization at encoding improves prospective memory in older adults living with HIV infection.
Authors: Woods SP, Weber E, Grant I, and the HNRP Group
Year: 2011
Publication: 2nd International Workshop on HIV & Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
Volume: Issue: Pages:
Abstract:Background: Prospective memory (PM), or remembering to remember, is commonly impaired in older adults living with HIV infection and is strongly associated with poorer everyday functioning outcomes (e.g., medication non-adherence). The current study aimed to improve PM among a sample of older HIV-infected adults by using a visualization intervention, which prior research suggests may enhance performance by deepening encoding. Materials & Method: Participants included 70 HIV-infected adults aged 50 and older (M = 56 ± 6 years) who had an estimated duration of HIV infection of 18 ± 7 years. The study sample was 83% male, 70% Caucasian, and had obtained 14 ± 3 years of education. At the time of their neuropsychological evaluation, 91% of the sample was prescribed combination ART, 7% had CD4 counts below 200 cells/μL and 15% had detectable HIV RNA in plasma. All study participants were given a PM intention in which they were asked to perform a medication management task at a prespecified future cue (i.e., when the examiner showed them the grooved pegboard approximately 1 hr into their neurocognitive evaluation). Subjects were randomized into either: 1) a visualization (VIS; n = 32) arm in which they were asked to repeat the instructions and spend several moments visualizing the physical similarities between the cue (i.e., the pegboard) and the intention (i.e., the medication management pillbox) stimuli, or 2) a control (CTL; n = 38) arm in which they simply repeated the instructions. Results: Participants in the visualization condition were significantly more likely than controls to successfully complete the medication management PM task when shown the grooved pegboard (VIS = 55% vs. CTL = 30%, p < .05). The effect of visualization was particularly strong for participants with lower baseline PM functioning as measured by a separate, standardized clinical test (VIS = 46% complete vs. CTL = 17% complete, p < .05) versus subjects with normal PM (VIS = 61% complete vs. CTL = 47% complete, p > .20). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a brief strategic visualization exercise can enhance PM functioning in older HIV-infected adults. These findings may inform the development of targeted cognitive neurorehabilitation interventions to improve everyday functioning outcomes (e.g., adherence) and health-related quality of life in this population.

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