Neuropsychology/Neuropsychiatry of HIV Infection Program
Overview
This program supports research on the risk of HIV infection or the sequelae of HIV infection among severely mentally ill (SMI) persons and on the neurocognitive aspects of HIV infection and CNS-related complications. The HIV neuropsychiatry program is focused on human studies and draws from multiple disciplines, including epidemiology, psychology, psychiatry, neuropsychology, neurobehavior, neuroimaging, neurobiology, and neuropathology. A major thrust of studies in this program is the impact of HIV as a chronic disease with special emphases on emerging behavioral and clinical issues related to co-occuring psychological factors, comorbid mental and substance abuse disorders, co-infections and neurocognitive dysfunction.
Areas of Emphasis
- Characterize the behavioral epidemiology of risk behavior patterns and their determinants, and the efficacy of novel risk reduction and transmission prevention interventions.
- Identify psychiatric and medical manifestations of HIV disease and their complications, and delivery of mental health and HIV services.
- Identify psychobiologic phenomena during the course of HIV disease (bereavement, pain) and other behavioral complications in HIV disease (e.g., violence, suicidality).
- Pursue in-vivo research methodologies, especially noninvasive imaging paradigms, and surrogate markers associated with HIV-associated cognitive/motor complex and other neuropsychiatric complications.
- Conduct functional evaluations of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment and psychosocial interventions and treatment of neuropsychiatric complications in HIV disease.
- Identify mechanisms of neuropathogenesis in HIV-related neurocognitive and neurobehavioral dysfunction.
Contact
David M. Stoff, Ph.D.
Program Chief
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6210, MSC 9619
301-443-4625, dstoff@mail.nih.qov
