Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from the Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab! 🧠🎃 May your neurons fire for treats, not tricks, this spooky season!

09/24/2025

🧠 Depression is associated with hippocampal volume loss in adults with HIV

Depression is 2-3x more common in persons with HIV (PWH) than in the general population.

Using MRI scans and depression scores from 100 adults with HIV, our team of researchers identified that more severe depressive symptoms were associated with reduced gray matter in the right hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. These brain regions are involved in long-term and episodic memory.

Figure 1 displays that the right hippocampus had significantly lower volume in participants with current depression.

- A history of severe immunosuppression (low CD4 nadir or their lowest CD4 count) correlates with greater reduced hippocampal volume.
- Antidepressant use did not significantly affect brain volume.
- It’s important to note that depression’s impact on hippocampal volume may be independent of HIV‐disease severity (indicated by their lowest CD4 count).

This study highlights the importance of early mental health screening and intervention for PWH.

Read the full paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8288081/
Authors: Margarita Bronshteyn 1, Fan Nils Yang 1, Kyle F Shattuck 1, Matthew Dawson 2, Princy Kumar 3, David J Moore 2, Ronald J Ellis 2,4, Xiong Jiang 1

Thank you to these incredible researchers!

09/18/2025

Today is National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD), recognizing the growing number of older adults living long, healthy lives with HIV!

Information on NHAAD and HIV prevention, care, and treatment for people aging with HIV can be found below:

Administration for Community Living: HIV/AIDS (https://acl.gov/programs/health-wellness/hivaids)
HIV.gov: Aging with HIV (https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/living-well-with-hiv/taking-care-of-yourself/aging-with-hiv)
HIV.gov: Supporting Long-Term Survivors of HIV (https://www.hiv.gov/blog/supporting-long-term-survivors-hiv)
HIVinfo.NIH.gov: HIV and Older People (https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/hiv-and-older-people)
National Institute on Aging: HIV, AIDS, and Older Adults (https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hiv-aids-and-older-adults)

More info: https://www.hiv.gov/events/awareness-days/aging

Learn about HIV and aging awareness, resources, and events aimed at supporting older adults living with HIV.

09/08/2025

🧠 Sharing more of our lab’s research with you!

A study found that a type of non-invasive brain stimulation (called tDCS) is safe and may help improve memory and cognition for people with HIV. This could be a promising new way to treat HIV-related cognitive challenges.

Figure 1: How did the study work?
People with HIV received either real or placebo brain stimulation over 2-3 weeks. They had brain scans and cognitive tests before and after treatment. After 3 months, those who originally received the placebo were offered the real treatment. The figure also shows a brain map highlighting the targeted area and the precise electrode setup used to stimulate a key region involved in cognition, the anterior cingulate cortex.

Figure 4: What changed in the brain?
After brain stimulation (tDCS), scans showed stronger connections between brain areas that help with focus and decision-making. These brain changes were linked to fewer errors in cognitive tasks.

Study conducted by:
Xiong Jiang*, Sophia Dahmani, Margarita Bronshteyn, Fan Nils Yang, John Paul Ryan, R. Craig Gallagher Jr., Srikanth R. Damera, Princy N. Kumar, David J. Moore, Ronald J. Ellis, Peter E. Turkeltaub
*Lead author

Thank you to this amazing team of researchers!
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9165807/

08/22/2025

A reminder to check out participating in our study!

08/22/2025

🧠 Meta-Analysis from Our Lab!

We're proud to share a publication from our team led by Sophia Dahmani, MD (Resident), Natella Rakhmanina, MD, PhD (Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Children’s National Hospital), and Xiong Jiang, PhD (Principal Investigator ).

This meta-analysis analyzes data from 35 studies to study how perinatal HIV impacts neurocognitive function in children and adolescents in the current era of antiretroviral therapy (ART).

🔍 Key finding: Children and adolescents living with perinatal HIV continue to show significant impairments in processing speed, working memory, and, to a lesser extent, executive function.

This meta-analysis highlights the urgent need for equitable access to neurocognitive assessments and interventions worldwide. Providing these resources is essential to support the healthy brain development of children and adolescents living with HIV.

📖 Read the full paper here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00181-0/fulltext

In the ART era, cognitive impairment (especially reduced processing speed and working memory) persists in children and adolescents living with HIV. These impairments may be more pronounced among those children and adolescents living with HIV in low-income countries, suggesting that there may be glob...

08/01/2025

Participants needed for HIV brain study – compensation provided!

Would you be interested in participating in our functional MRI study of frontostriatal injury in adults with HIV? The Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab at Georgetown University is hoping to
schedule participants with and without HIV for in-person screening and sample collection, cognitive tasks, and brain scanning.

What’s involved:
- 10-minute phone call
- 2 hour in-person screening (consent form, urine test, optional saliva swab, brief cognitive testing)
- Two 5-6 hour in-person visits (urine test, blood draw for people with HIV, MRI scan, additional cognitive testing)

Compensation:
- 2 hour in-person screening: $40 or $30 plus parking coverage
- 5-6 hour sessions: up to $135 or up to $125 plus parking coverage
- Bonus $35 for completing all sessions

Age requirements:
- 40-80 years old

Interested?
- Call us at 202-687-7370

Participant Sign-Up: