Brain Connections & HIV Status

You can play an important role in research by volunteering for a free and confidential study Yale is conducting to learn about changes in the brain. Our brains are made up of tiny cells called neurons, and these neurons talk to each other by sending out signals. When one neuron wants to talk to another neuron, it sends a message across a tiny gap called a synapse.

Synaptic density refers to how many of these little gaps, or synapses, there are between the neurons in your brain. Just like a lot of roads and bridges can make a city more connected and busy, having more synapses in your brain can make it work better and be more powerful. Yale has important technology to help us measure synaptic density called a PET scan.

We know that as we age, there is a decrease in these little gaps. When someone has a condition such as dementia, they often have a decrease in these little gaps too. We are interested in looking at whether or not people with certain infectious diseases such as HIV also have a decrease in these gaps by looking at two different brain scans. Our hope is that this study leads to improved treatment for individuals with cognitive impairment living with HIV. Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us.

Study procedures include: blood draws, a lumbar puncture (optional), EKG, MRI, PET scan, and complete a set of memory tasks and health surveys.

Inclusion criteria for eligibility:

• HIV negative (do not have HIV) OR living with HIV
• Between the ages of 18 - 80
• Willingness to participate in phlebotomy, NPT Assessments & Surveys, MRI, and PET
• For People Living With HIV: be on cART with documented viral suppression for at least one year
• Not pregnant
• Willingness to have an HIV test
• Willingness to co-enroll in our Biobank study, HIC# 1502015318 (with separate compensation
• provided)

Compensation up to $1,150.00-$1,700.00 for study completion (over 2 years)

If interested, contact Allison Nelson at (475) 434-4324 or email NeuroID@yale.edu for more information.