How inflammation pathways change brain rhythms in people with HIV

Coupling of Inflammasome Cascades and Aberrant Neural Oscillatory Dynamics in NeuroHIV

NIH-funded research Father Flanagan's Boys' Home · NIH-11248418

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 typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionFather Flanagan's Boys' Home NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Boys Town, United States)
Project IDNIH-11248418 on NIH RePORTER

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.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults living with HIV—especially those reporting cognitive symptoms or a history of substance use—would be the ideal candidates for participation.

Not a fit: Children, people without HIV, or those with cognitive problems caused by unrelated neurological diseases are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

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 performed: 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

Boys Town, 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 2026-06-13 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.