By Yolonda Bell
Thirty years ago, a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS was a death sentence for many. As the years have gone by, though, advances have been made in the area of treatment and People Living With HIV (PLWH) are living longer. That is not to say that we don’t suffer from other conditions that come with age. To that end, Nova Southeastern University and the National Institute on Aging have teamed up to conduct a research study on PLWH over 50 and their thinking and memory. The study is geared to determine if a non-invasive, painless brain stimulation treatment known as transcranial direct current stimulation will help with these problems. Dr. Ray Ownby, MD, PhD, MBA, the director of the study, states that the pilot of 120 people showed enough success that the university received federal funding for this study.
“We want to see if we can reach people about this, for purposes of the research study,” stated Dr. Ownby. “We know that younger people living with HIV suffer with memory loss, but we are particularly looking at the older generation now.” This study does not require taking medication. There is a telephone screening process to determine your eligibility. Contact Rosemary Davenport, RN at (954) 262-1804 to see if you qualify. If eligible, you will be compensated for your participation in the study.
Dr. Raymond Ownby is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Nova Southeastern University.
