The Neural Underpinnings of Depression and Cannabis Use in Young People Living With HIV

Eligibility Criteria

• * HIV seropositivity confirmed with lab report, medical records, or HIV testing.
• * Between the ages of 18-39 years
• * Fluency in English or Spanish
• * Ability to provide informed consent and perform study procedures, including estimated full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) \>75 to ensure that participants are able to understand the study.
• * Cannabis users: To capture a wide range of cannabis use frequency, meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 (DSM-5) criteria for Cannabis use Disorder (CUD) will not be required. However, in order to ensure sufficient exposure, cannabis use will be significant (self-reported use on ≥20 of the prior 30 days and positive THC urine toxicology).
• * Depressed: In order to capture a wide range of depression illness severity, we will allow participants with subthreshold depression, defined as a raw severity score of ≥12 on the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
• * Perinatally acquired HIV infection, as early neurodevelopmental alterations and HIV legacy effects may exist in this group
• * Pregnancy or lactation
• * Current Substance Use Disorder other than cannabis or nicotine
• * Certified for or self-reported medical cannabis use, or intent to become certified
• * Current cocaine use by self-report or urine toxicology
• * central nervous system (CNS) disease or injury, or neuro-degenerative disease
• * Unique pain syndromes (e.g. multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis);
• * Severe medical illness such as end-stage renal disease, heart failure, cirrhosis, or cancer
• * MRI contraindication such as claustrophobia, metallic ink tattoos, or pacemaker.
• * At baseline, all participants will be psychotropic-medication-free for ≥1 month prior to study enrollment (or ≥3 months for medications with longer half-lives). Benzodiazepines and sleeping aids taken on an as-needed basis will be allowed, however we will require a 4-day abstinence period before the scan.
• * Exclusionary are participants with a DSM-5 diagnoses of bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and all non-cannabis substance-related disorders will be exclusionary. disorder (PTSD) are not uncommon among depressed individuals and will be
• * Anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress are allowed as long as depressive symptoms are primary.