How inflammation pathways change brain rhythms in people with HIV
Official title: Coupling of Inflammasome Cascades and Aberrant Neural Oscillatory Dynamics in NeuroHIV
Funded at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home · NIH-11248418 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at links between immune-related inflammation signals and abnormal brain activity in adults living with HIV, including effects of substance use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Father Flanagan's Boys' Home NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boys Town, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $503,862 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA059877-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11248418 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with HIV—especially those reporting cognitive symptoms or a history of substance use—would be the ideal candidates for participation.
✕Less likely to help
Children, people without HIV, or those with cognitive problems caused by unrelated neurological diseases are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will record your brain activity and collect blood (and possibly other samples) to measure inflammation-related molecules called inflammasome signatures. They will compare these measures with patterns of brain rhythms and with thinking and memory tests. The team will also examine whether illicit drug use changes these inflammation and brain-wave patterns. The goal is to find biological signals that explain why some people with HIV develop cognitive problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal measurable blood or brain-activity markers that help detect and eventually guide treatment for cognitive problems in people with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked HIV to changes in cortical circuits and have implicated inflammasomes in neuroinflammation, but combining inflammation markers with neural oscillation measures is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
Boys Town, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wilson, Tony W. — Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
- Study coordinator: Wilson, Tony W.
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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.