| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Published Abstract | | Title: Issues of cultural and linguistic diversity in the neuropsychology of HIV infection. | | Authors: Cherner M | | Year: 2005 | | Publication: Annual Meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, St. Louis, MO | | Volume: 11 Issue: S1 Pages: 66-67 | | Abstract:"Neurobehavioral dysfunction is a common consequence of HIV infection. While modern antiviral regimens offer great promise in terms of survival and physical health, HIV associated neuropsychological (NP) impairment has not been eradicated. HIV/AIDS has affected African Americans and Hispanic Americans in a manner disproportionate to their representation in the general U.S. population. Worldwide, the majority of people infected with HIV do not conform demographically to those for which validated NP measures exist. Thus, challenges regarding the cultural and linguistic appropriateness of assessment instruments and norms are salient in correctly diagnosing HIV related NP impairment, particularly in its milder manifestations. Individuals infected with HIV often come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with poor quality of education and comorbid factors, such as substance dependence, that add complexity to the interpretation of test results. An additional complicating feature of HIV/AIDS, not shared with most other causes of brain injury, is that it continues to carry significant stigma, particularly in culturally traditional communities. This, combined with an historic distrust of medical environments and limited access to information and health resources, can lead to delays in seeking medical care, with negative implications for cognitive functioning. Application of population-specific test norms as well as careful examination of sociodemographic influences and premorbid functioning are among the approaches that have been used to mitigate diagnostic errors. Assessment of culturally relevant everyday functioning abilities may represent an ecologically valid method for documenting brain dysfunction in ethnically diverse groups.
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