Computer use: a protective factor for cognition in aging and HIV disease?

Abstract

Modifiable lifestyle factors such as engagement with technology may be beneficial to cognition in older adults, but we know little about these relationships in older persons with chronic medical conditions. The current study examined the association between computer use frequency and cognition in younger and older adults with and without HIV disease. Participants included 110 older persons with HIV (pwHIV; age ≥ 50years), 84 younger pwHIV (age ≤ 40years), 76 older HIV-, and 66 younger HIV- adults who completed a comprehensive medical, psychiatric, and cognitive research assessment. Demographically adjusted scores were derived from a well-validated clinical battery of performance-based neuropsychological tests. Participants also completed self-reported measures of cognitive symptoms in daily life and the Brief Computer Use and Anxiety Questionnaire (BCUAQ). Older age was associated with less frequent computer use among persons with and without HIV disease. More frequent computer use was strongly and independently related to better cognitive performance, particularly in higher order domains (e.g., episodic memory and executive functions) and among the older seronegative adults. A small, univariable correlation between more frequent computer use and fewer cognitive symptoms in daily life was observed in the full sample, but that relationship was better explained by computer-related anxiety and HIV/age study group. These findings add to the existing literature that suggests regular engagement with digital technologies may have a beneficial impact on cognitive functioning, consistent with the technological reserve hypothesis.