Faster diagnosis and better brain health after HIV-associated meningitis
Official title: Improving Diagnostics and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV/AIDS-related Meningitis
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11141078 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests faster bedside and lab tests plus a new oral antifungal to help adults with HIV who develop meningitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2013 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $297,733 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS086312-12 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141078 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with HIV who present to participating hospitals with suspected or confirmed central nervous system infection or meningitis would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV, children, patients with non-infectious neurological problems, or those who cannot attend participating sites are unlikely to benefit from joining this project.
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will enroll over 1,000 adults with HIV and suspected meningitis, mainly in Uganda. My spinal fluid and blood may be checked with rapid point-of-care and molecular tests, including a semi-quantitative cryptococcal antigen lateral flow and a new host-response TB test (Xpert-HR), to find the cause quickly. The team will also run a randomized phase II trial giving some participants an oral antifungal called oteseconazole to see if it clears the fungus better. The study will follow my recovery and memory/brain function over time to track neurocognitive outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could speed up correct diagnoses and offer a safer, easier oral treatment that improves survival and brain function after HIV-related meningitis.
How similar studies have gone: Rapid cryptococcal antigen tests and molecular TB diagnostics have improved diagnosis in other studies, but the semi-quantitative CrAg-SQ, Xpert-HR host-response signature, and oteseconazole for cryptococcosis in humans are relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boulware, David R — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Boulware, David R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving Diagnostics and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV/AIDS-related Meningitis
A study in Uganda aims to use faster, better tests and a new antifungal to help people with HIV who develop meningitis.
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Improving Diagnostics and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV/AIDS-Related Meningitis
This project tests faster, better ways to diagnose HIV-related meningitis and improve brain health in adults in Africa.
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Better diagnosis and brain health for people with HIV meningitis
This project tries faster tests and a new oral antifungal to help adults with HIV who develop meningitis.
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Improving diagnosis and treatment for meningitis in HIV/AIDS patients
This study is all about finding better ways to diagnose and treat serious brain infections like cryptococcal and TB meningitis that can affect people with weakened immune systems, especially those living with HIV/AIDS, so we can help improve their health and care.
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An integrated mobile health program to reduce SAVA and mental health problems among female sex workers in Kenya
A new mobile health program aims to help female sex workers in Kenya avoid substance abuse, violence, HIV, and depression by delivering group therapy, online resources, and a peer discussion space.
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FIOCRUZ HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Unit: advancing HIV prevention and treatment in Brazil
A Brazilian clinical trials unit led by Dr. Beatriz Grinsztejn is testing and speeding up new HIV prevention and treatment strategies to help people living with HIV/AIDS and those at risk.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.