Cognitive Intra-individual Variability in the Laboratory Is Associated With Greater Executive Dysfunction in the Daily Lives of Older Adults With HIV.

Abstract

Executive dysfunction, which is common among persons with HIV (PWH), can have an adverse impact on health behaviors and quality of life. Intra-individual variability (IIV) is a measure of within-person variability across cognitive tests that is higher in PWH and is thought to reflect cognitive dyscontrol. To assess whether cognitive IIV in the laboratory is associated with self-reported executive dysfunction in daily life among older PWH. Participants included 71 PWH aged ≥50 years who completed six subtests from the Cogstate battery and two subscales from the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe; self-report version). Cognitive IIV was calculated from the Cogstate as the coefficient of variation derived from age-adjusted normative T scores. Cognitive IIV as measured by the Cogstate showed a significant, positive, medium-sized association with current FrSBe ratings of executive dysfunction but not disinhibition. Higher cognitive IIV in the laboratory as measured by the Cogstate may be related to the expression of HIV-associated symptoms of executive dysfunction in daily life for older PWH.