title: HIV-positive females show blunted neurophysiological responses in an emotion-attention dual task paradigm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although HIV is associated with decreased emotional and cognitive functioning, the mechanisms through which affective changes can alter cognitive processes in HIV-infected individuals are unknown. We aimed to clarify this question through testing the extent to which emotionally negative stimuli prime attention to a subsequent infrequently occurring auditory tone in HIV+ compared to HIV- females.
  
  
  METHODS
  Attention to emotional compared to non-emotional pictures was measured via the LPP ERP. Subsequent attention was indexed through the N1 and late processing negativity ERP. We also assessed mood and cognitive functioning in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In HIV- females, emotionally negative pictures, compared to neutral pictures, resulted in an enhanced LPP to the pictures and an enhanced N1 to subsequent tones. The HIV+ group did not show a difference in the LPP measure between picture categories, and accordingly, did not show a priming effect to the subsequent infrequent tones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ERP findings, combined with neuropsychological deficits, suggest that HIV+ females show impairments in attention to emotionally-laden stimuli and that this impairment might be related to a loss of affective priming.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to provide physiological evidence that the LPP, a measure of attention to emotionally-charged visual stimuli, is reduced in HIV-infected individuals. These results set the stage for future work aimed at localizing brain activation to emotional stimuli in HIV+ individuals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA. Electronic address: tartar@nova.edu.
authors.forename: Jaime L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tartar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Roger C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosselli
authors.affiliation: Children's Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Widmayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Allan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Nash
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time
keywords: ERP; Emotion; Female; HIV; Late positive potential; Neuropsychology