Inhibitory control is associated with medication adherence in young HIV patients without comorbidities.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nIn the present study we evaluated the incremental contribution of executive cognition (EC) subprocesses to antiretroviral medication adherence.\n\n\nMETHOD\nA comprehensive EC test battery assessing updating/working memory, mental flexibility, and inhibitory control, along with measures assessing non-executive cognitive functions were completed by 100 individuals with HIV. Medication adherence was determined via a visual analogue self-report scale and the Medication Adherence Questionnaire. Potential predictors, including demographic and clinical characteristics and neuropsychological performances on EC and other cognitive tasks were regressed to medication adherence. Predictive variables related to executive processes were added in the final block of the hierarchical regression model in order to assess their incremental predictive ability on medication adherence.\n\n\nRESULTS\n23% of the variance in the visual analogue scale was explained by treatment complexity, memory and EC performance. A measure of inhibitory control, in particular, predicted self-reported medication adherence above and beyond demographic, clinical and other cognitive factors.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe contribution of EC to self-reported medication adherence in young seropositive adults was limited, but inhibitory control was associated with proper medication management above and beyond demographic, clinical and other cognitive functions.