{
  "abstract": "Background People living with HIV (PWH) are at increased risk of neuropsychological symptoms and disorders compared with the general population. Women with HIV (WLWH) have a higher risk than men with HIV and women without due to biological and psychosocial factors, and dual gender and HIV-related stigma. However, these disorders are often underdiagnosed and undertreated, and few studies focus exclusively on the female population.Methods A monocentric, observational cross-sectional study was conducted between March and July 2025 at the Infectious Diseases Unit of Sassari. Sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic data were collected from the Sardinian HIV database and clinical records.Neuropsychological symptoms were assessed using six self-report questionnaires: EQ-5D-5L, PSQI, HAM-A, CES-D, and HIVTSQ-12, along with an adherence questionnaire. Associations between questionnaire scores and EQ-VAS were evaluated using linear regression. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results The study included 60 WLWH with a median age of 57.4 years (IQR 48.8–61.0), of whom 71.7% were postmenopausal. The median duration of HIV infection was 24.4 (IQR 10.6-34.3) years ( table 1).Participants showed high levels of treatment adherence, with over 98% reporting adherence ≥80% and 81.7% reporting full adherence. Laboratory data at the moment of questionnaire collection are shown in table 2.The results showed that the median HAM-A score was 9 (IQR 4.5–15): 84.5% of women reported mild anxiety, and 15% mild-moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. Depressive symptoms had a median score of 11.5 (IQR 7–16.5), with a prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in 28.3% of participants. The PSQI median score was 5 (IQR 4–7), and 46.7% of participants showed impaired sleep quality. The majority of women reported no significant limitations in mobility, self-care, or usual activities. However, 51.7% reported pain or physical discomfort, and 30% reported moderate to severe anxiety or depression. Median perceived health status was 80 (IQR 70–90) (table 3).Linear regression analysis demonstrated significant associations between neuropsychological factors and perceived health status (table 4). Higher CES-D scores were associated with lower EQ-VAS scores, as were higher HAM-A, PSQI, and HVITSQ-12 scores, which were positively associated with perceived health status.Conclusion The study findings highlight the frequency and clinical relevance of neuropsychological symptoms among WLWH. The significant association between neuropsychological symptoms and poorer quality of life underscores the need to integrate Patient-Reported Outcomes into clinical practice systematically. These results support the importance of early screening and ongoing monitoring programs based on a multidisciplinary, patient-centred, and gender-sensitive approach to reduce underdiagnosis, improve quality of life, and indirectly improve the clinical outcome of HIV infection.Abstract P78 Table 1–4",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "E Muresu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "A De Vito"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "G Brugnani"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "M E Fajardo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "G Madeddu"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P78 Neuropsychological disorders in women living with HIV: impact on quality of life",
  "uid": "d9c9ebc2-b918-523d-bf31-8b6c621ecd6b"
}