CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER)

The CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) study was first funded in September 2002 in response to NIMH RFA 00-AI-0005 to explore the changing presentation of HIV neurological complications in the context of emerging antiviral treatments such as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Public funding included grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) via the CHARTER Extension (NIH/NIMH/NINDS Award Number HHSN271201000036C) and CHARTER as a Resource (NIH/NIMH/NINDS Award Number HHSN271201000030C).  CHARTER’s study aims were to determine how central and peripheral nervous system complications of HIV are affected by different histories and regimens of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Participants received comprehensive neuromedical, neurocognitive, and laboratory examinations, with a subset undergoing host/viral genetic characterization and neuroimaging. In order to have a broad representation of participant characteristics, CHARTER was conducted at six performance sites nationally whose activities were coordinated by UCSD, the principal grantee institution, which included several technical, scientific, and administrative components to guide the work.