Neurocognition and its predictors in a linguistically and culturally diverse cohort of people with HIV

Objective: HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects Black and Latino people in the United States, yet there is a lack of research on predictors of neurocognitive outcomes in these groups. We examined neurocognitive performance and its key predictors across White, Black, and Latino people with HIV (PWH). Method: Participants included 586 PWH of White, Black, and Latino (English- and Spanish-speaking) background. Neurocognition was assessed via demographically-adjusted Fluid Cognition Composite T-scores from the NIH-Toolbox cognition battery, and individual tests comprising this composite. Predictors examined included sociodemographic and HIV disease characteristics, and medical, psychiatric and substance comorbidities. Results: Compared to White PWH, English-speaking Latino PWH had lower T-scores on the Fluid Cognition Composite, as well as Flanker Inhibition and Picture Sequence Memory tests. While there were no other significant group differences on Fluid Cognition, both Latino PWH language groups performed worse than Black PWH on Flanker Inhibition, and Black PWH performed worse than White PWH on List Sorting. Separate multivariable linear regression models by ethnic/racial/language group showed that significant correlates of worse Fluid Cognition included depressive symptoms among White PWH; hepatitis C co-infection among Black PWH; hypertension among English-speaking Latino PWH; and higher estimated duration of HIV disease and depressive symptoms in Spanish-speaking Latino PWH. Conclusions: Findings suggest worse neurocognition among English-speaking Latino PWH compared to Whites. Predictors of neurocognitive function among PWH differ across ethnic/racial and language groups. Consideration of these HIV disease characteristics and comorbidities may be valuable in developing targeted culturally-relevant interventions aimed at ameliorating neurocognitive dysfunction among diverse PWH.