Psychiatric and neurophysiological predictors of obesity in HIV/AIDS.

The objective of the study was to identify predictors of obesity. One hundred eleven nonobese and 48 obese HIV-1 seropositive patients provided information on medical history and other characteristics. They were then asked to detect the passage of 2-s time intervals while the contingent negative variation (CNV) was recorded. Obese patients were healthier, more likely to be receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, and less likely to be substance dependent. Obese patients also exhibited a greater CNV slope and responded prematurely. A path model suggested that CD4+count and protease inhibitor use directly predicted obesity. Depression had no direct effect. However, when incorporated into a hypothetical construct, "mood dysregulation," that also included childhood conduct problems and stimulant dependence, the shared variance among the indicators did predict obesity. This relationship was mediated through premature response preparation (anterior scalp CNV amplitude) and its hypothesized association with impatience/impulsivity.