Project ARTEMIS: A Mechanistic Clinical Trial of Neuroimmune Pathways

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand how chronic stress impacts brain and immune system functions, and how these changes affect emotions, thinking, and behavior. The study focuses on individuals who are HIV positive, currently taking antiretroviral medications, and use stimulants. By studying these processes, researchers hope to develop better treatments for issues like depression and substance use. Participants who qualify will undergo a baseline assessment including behavioral surveys, biospecimen collection, and an MRI brain scan. Then, they will be randomly assigned to either the ARTEMIS intervention group or a waitlist control group. The ARTEMIS group receives five individual sessions over Zoom in three months teaching nine positive affect skills. All participants will receive contingency management to support adherence to their antiretroviral therapy throughout the active trial phase. Those in the waitlist control group will have the option to receive ARTEMIS after six months. Throughout the study, participants will have follow-ups at three and six months to evaluate changes in brain function via fMRI and immune signaling through RNA sequencing. Researchers will also measure stimulant use frequency, depression scores, and peripheral inflammation. Adherence to medication is monitored with a mobile app that records videos of dosing. The total participation time includes baseline, intervention, follow-ups, and possible delayed intervention for the control group, lasting up to six months or longer.

Project neuroARTEMIS