Affiliations: [a]
Capstone College of Nursing, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| [b]
Department of Sociology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| [c]
School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| [d]
Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| [e]
Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| [f]
Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Shameka L. Cody, PhD, AGNP-C, Associate Professor, 650 University Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35274, USA. Tel.: +1 205 348 3374; E-mail: slcody@ua.edu.
Abstract: Mild to moderate forms of neurocognitive impairment persist among people living with HIV (PLWH), despite being virally suppressed on antiretroviral therapy. PLWH are disproportionally impacted by physiological and psychosocial comorbidities compared to those without HIV. As adults live longer with HIV, the neurocognitive burden of physiological and psychosocial stressors can impair everyday functioning and may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. This article outlines neurocognitive consequences of everyday stressors in PLWH. While some lifestyle factors can exacerbate inflammatory processes and promote negative neurocognitive health, novel interventions including the use of cannabinoids may be neuroprotective for aging PLWH who are at risk for elevated levels of inflammation from comorbidities. Studies of integrated neurocognitive rehabilitation strategies targeting lifestyle factors are promising for improving neurocognitive health, and may over time, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in PLWH.
