Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the NIH, this project utilizes fMRI to clarify how HIV infection and cannabis use (both alone and in combination) impact brain function. Lagging behind rapid changes to state laws, societal views, and medical practice is scientific investigation of cannabis’s impact on brain function, especially in patients with HIV/AIDS. We are addressing this knowledge gap by using advanced fMRI techniques to rigorously assess brain activity at the regional, network, and global levels in a sample of adults stratified by HIV-serostatus and cannabis use. Clarifying the impact of HIV infection and cannabis use on the brain is critically important for developing treatments to improve patients’ mental functions, identifying poor candidates for medical marijuana, and providing patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers with scientific information allowing for informed decision-making regarding cannabis use.
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Data collection for this study is complete.