How HIV affects social thinking and everyday interactions

Evaluating Social Brain Health in HIV: An RDoC-based approach

NIH-funded research University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11289391

This project looks at how HIV changes people's ability to read emotions, understand others' thoughts, and use social cues by combining brain imaging and behavioral tests for people with HIV.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Birmingham, United States)
Project IDNIH-11289391 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be asked to complete tasks and questionnaires that measure how you recognize emotions, understand others' intentions, and respond in social situations. Researchers will pair those behavioral measures with brain imaging to see which parts of the social brain are involved. The project uses the NIMH RDoC framework to link behavior and brain function across multiple levels. Study staff will compare findings from people with HIV to help explain social difficulties and guide future supports or treatments.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are adults living with HIV who can complete cognitive and social cognition tasks and are able to undergo brain imaging sessions.

Not a fit: People without HIV, or those who cannot tolerate MRI or complete behavioral testing, are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to detect and address social thinking problems that make daily life harder for people living with HIV.

How similar studies have performed: Social neuroscience has shown that specific brain regions support social cognition, but applying a multilevel RDoC approach specifically to people with HIV is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Birmingham, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.