Understanding brain changes from smoking in people with HIV

Neurometabolic profile of tobacco smoking in HIV-infected Individuals

NIH-funded research Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11136986

This research aims to understand how smoking affects the brain chemistry of people living with HIV.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionChildren's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Philadelphia, United States)
Project IDNIH-11136986 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

We know that smoking is more common in people with HIV and can make their condition worse, especially impacting brain health. While previous work suggests that HIV and smoking together can harm the brain, leading to issues like impulsivity and thinking problems, we don't fully understand the specific brain chemical changes involved. This project uses a special MRI technique called HERCULES to measure important brain chemicals. By improving this technique to account for movement, we hope to get a clearer picture of these brain changes.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for future participation would likely be individuals living with HIV who also smoke tobacco.

Not a fit: Patients who do not have HIV or do not smoke tobacco would likely not directly benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us better understand how HIV and smoking affect the brain, potentially leading to new ways to support brain health for affected individuals.

How similar studies have performed: While other studies have shown that HIV and smoking can harm the brain, this project uses a novel MRI technique to specifically look at the neurochemical profile, which is less understood.

Where this research is happening

Philadelphia, 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 VirusAcquired brain injury
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.