Understanding long-term brain changes after a serious infection in people with HIV
Official title: Late Neurological Sequelae after Cryptococcal Meningitis
Funded at Infectious Diseases Institute · NIH-11172596 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at the lasting brain and thinking problems that can happen to people with HIV after they recover from a severe brain infection called cryptococcal meningitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Infectious Diseases Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kampala, Uganda) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $172,687 |
| NIH project number | 5R21TW012988-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11172596 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is relevant for adults aged 21 and older who have HIV and have previously recovered from cryptococcal meningitis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not had cryptococcal meningitis or do not have HIV would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Cryptococcal meningitis is a serious brain infection that is a major cause of death for people living with HIV, especially in Africa. While many survive, we don't fully understand the long-term effects on their thinking, memory, and daily functions. This project aims to find out how common these lasting brain problems are and what factors might put people at higher risk. We also want to see if lingering signs of the infection in the body contribute to ongoing brain inflammation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to improve survival and reduce long-term brain and thinking problems for people with HIV who have had cryptococcal meningitis.
How similar studies have gone: While the short-term impacts of cryptococcal meningitis are known, the long-term functional and neurocognitive outcomes are largely unclear, making this a novel area of focus.
Where this research is happening
-
Infectious Diseases Institute
Kampala, Uganda Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nsangi, Laura Joan — Infectious Diseases Institute
- Study coordinator: Nsangi, Laura Joan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Personalized Immunomodulatory Therapy for HIV-related Cryptococcal Meningitis
A patient-focused study investigates a personalized treatment approach to improve outcomes for people with HIV who develop cryptococcal meningitis.
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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.
-
TB meningitis diagnostic test compare and cost study in sub-Saharan Africa
Researchers are testing a new CSF urine-based test (SILVAMP TB LAM) to improve diagnosis of TB meningitis in people with HIV, to help speed treatment and reduce death in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Minimally Invasive Sampling to Improve HIV-Associated M meningitis Diagnosis in Africa
A research study is testing easier, less invasive ways to diagnose meningitis in people living with HIV, with a focus on making diagnosis faster and more accurate in Africa and the US.
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Understanding brain injury in kids with tuberculous meningitis (iThemba)
A study in children with TB meningitis in South Africa will look at how inflammation and blood-clotting factors relate to brain injury and infarcts.
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Serological clues to survival in HIV-related cryptococcal meningitis
This grant looks for antibody signals in the blood that could predict who survives cryptococcal meningitis in people with HIV.
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.