Neurobehavioral and Functional Consequences of HIV in African Americans

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究提案旨在提高对非裔美国人（例如，药物管理）。本K23应用程序的目标是开发一种模型，用于使用神经成像、神经认知评估和基于实验室的功能评估方法预测功能结果，同时控制潜在的混淆社会文化因素（例如，教育经验）。下面的研究建议首先确定社会文化因素，解释非洲裔美国人和高加索人之间的神经认知表现的差异。接下来，我们将使用结构神经成像作为大脑组织的客观标志，以研究两个种族群体的神经认知评估和神经成像之间的关系，同时在潜在的解释变量建模。预期神经认知表现与神经影像学之间的关系对于高加索人来说将是强有力的，但对于非裔美国人来说相对较弱（因为这个群体最常受到不利的社会条件的影响）。我们预计，一个模型的因素，在潜在的混杂变量将增加神经认知测试的有效性，测量脑功能和功能的结果在非洲裔美国人。候选人具有临床神经心理学背景，并从该奖项中寻求两个主要培训目标：1）学习结构神经成像技术，2）成为神经艾滋病专家，重点是少数民族人群。候选人在加州大学洛杉矶分校认知神经科学中心和塞梅尔研究所的工作环境为神经成像和神经艾滋病的培训提供了良好的基础设施。这些实验室有几个资助的，正在进行的研究与脑映射中心和分子神经成像实验室（LONI）有密切的联系。作为该培训的一部分，候选人将参加基础神经成像主题（编程，统计，图像采集，神经解剖学）和更高级神经成像主题（例如，DTI解释），以及艾滋病毒感染的生物和神经心理后遗症课程。跨文化心理学的培训将通过心理学系内的多样性科学部门提供的课程，每周与文化，创伤和心理健康中心和文化神经心理学倡议的会议，以及每周与博士的会议来获得。她还将出席艾滋病毒年度会议（例如，国际神经病毒学会）和神经影像学（例如，人脑图谱），并定期与导师见面。候选人计划在奖励期结束时申请R01补助金。从长远来看，她计划在健康差异方面建立一个独立的研究生涯，专注于大脑行为关系，文化神经心理学和“现实世界”的功能结果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research proposal seeks to improve the understanding of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment on "real-life" functional outcomes in African Americans (e.g., managing medications). The objective of this K23 application is to develop a model for predicting functional outcomes using methods of neuroimaging, neurocognitive assessment, and laboratory-based functional assessments, while controlling for potentially confounding sociocultural factors (e.g., educational experience). The following research proposal begins by first identifying sociocultural factors that explain differences in neurocognitive performance between African Americans and Caucasians. Next, we will use structural neuroimaging as an objective marker of brain organization to examine relationships between neurocognitive assessment and neuroimaging in both ethnic groups while modeling in potential explanatory variables. It is expected that the relationship between neurocognitive performance and neuroimaging will be strong for Caucasians, but relatively weak for African Americans (as this group is most often affected by disadvantaged social conditions). We expect that a model that factors in potential confounding variables will increase the validity of neurocognitive testing for measuring brain function and functional outcomes among African Americans. The candidate has a background in clinical neuropsychology and seeks two primary training goals from this award: 1) learn structural neuroimaging techniques, and 2) become an expert in NeuroAIDS, within emphasis on ethnic minority populations. The candidate's work environment at the UCLA Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Semel Institute provides an excellent infrastructure for training in neuroimaging and NeuroAIDS. These labs have several funded, ongoing studies with strong ties to the Brain Mapping Center and the Laboratory of Molecular Neuroimaging (LONI). As part of this training, the candidate will attend courses and workshops in foundational neuroimaging topics (programming, statistics, image acquisition, neuroanatomy) and more advanced neuroimaging topics (e.g., DTI interpretation), as well as courses in the biological and neuropsychological sequelae of HIV infection. Training in cross-cultural psychology will be obtained through coursework offered through the Diversity Science Division within the Department of Psychology, weekly meetings with the Center for Culture, Trauma, and Mental Health and the Cultural Neuropsychology Initiative, in addition to weekly meetings with Dr. Hector Myers. She will also attend annual conferences in HIV (e.g., International Society of Neurovirology) and neuroimaging (e.g., Human Brain Mapping), and meet with mentors regularly. The candidate plans to apply for a R01 grant toward the end of the award period. Long term, she plans to establish an independent research career in health disparities focusing on brain-behavior relationships, cultural neuropsychology, and "real-world" functional outcomes.