Alteration in brain structure inhibits addictive recovery among HIV-positive individuals
In a groundbreaking research, scientists at the University of Rochester's Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience in Germany have uncovered the intricate relationship between brain functions and behaviour in individuals recovering from cocaine addiction and living with HIV. The study, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Neuropharmacology, sheds light on the unique challenges these individuals face.
According to the study's lead author, Kathryn Mary Wakim, Ph.D., the research focused on understanding the brain deficits associated with both conditions and how they might add up in individuals with both HIV and cocaine dependence. The challenging aspect of the study, she explains, was not playing the game itself, but rather withholding responses under certain task conditions.
Participants diagnosed with both HIV and cocaine dependence had a difficult time holding back behavioural responses while playing the game, with these changes also reflected in brain activity. Brain activity during response withholding in HIV-positive participants in recovery from cocaine dependence was found to be different than brain activity in HIV-negative participants in recovery.
John Foxe, Ph.D., director of the Del Monte Institute for Neurosciences, stated that drug abuse and HIV infection can cause brain changes. He emphasised that these findings suggest that HIV and drug addiction should be considered as a dual diagnosis in recovery, and specific targeted intervention approaches should be designed for this population.
The research project was supported by funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the University of Rochester Center for AIDS Research, which is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. A companion study published in Neuropharmacology found similar results while brain activity was measured using electroencephalography (EEG).
Wakim also stated that relapse should be minimised in this population because cocaine use is strongly associated with risky sexual behaviour, which increases the likelihood of HIV spread during a relapse. She mentioned that the majority of participants in the study contracted HIV through unprotected sex, not by injecting cocaine.
The study's co-authors include Edward Freedman, Ciara Molloy, Madalina Tivarus, Nicole Vieyto, Zhewei Cao, and Armin Heinecke. Foxe suggested that due to the unique vulnerability of individuals with HIV and cocaine dependence, currently treated similarly in recovery programs, they likely need more intensive treatment.
