Biography
Education
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Clinical Neuropsychology, UCLA
PhD, Clinical Psychology, Fordham University
MA, Clinical Psychology, Fordham University
BA, Psychology, NYU
Specialty Areas: Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology
Courses Taught
PSY 150 Introduction to Psychology
PSY 310 Abnormal Psychology
PSY 471 CN/S Clinical Neuropsychology
PSY 625 D/L Adult Psychological Assessment & Lab
*Currently accepting new MA students (2024-2025 academic year)
Research
As a Clinical Neuropsychologist, my research focuses on exploring brain-behavior relationships, primarily through neuropsychological assessment. This involves the systematic administration of neuropsychological tests, which measure how an individual performs in areas such as learning, memory, attention, working memory, executive functioning, language, visuospatial, and motor functioning.
My research team, the ACENT lab, explores neuropsychological functioning (i.e., brain-behavior relationships, also called cognition or neurocognition) using a biopsychosociocultural framework. We investigate health equity and health-related outcomes among historically excluded and/or disenfranchised populations, including individuals with HIV/AIDS, older adults, and those with cognitive decline or dementia, such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Current Projects in the ACENT lab
- HBC STUDY - HEALTH RISK BEHAVIORS AND COGNITION IN HIV: our NIMH-funded SC2 grant examined how neuropsychological functioning (particularly in areas of attention and executive functioning) predicts engagement in various health-related behaviors in individuals with and without HIV. We explored a wide variety of health risk behaviors, from dietary and exercise to sexual and drug-related risk behaviors. Data collection is completed for this project, we continue to analyze the data. We are focusing on disseminating this research through posters and/or publications.
- BLACK MEN’S BRAIN HEALTH (BMBH): https://www.mensbrainhealth.org/ BMBH, funded through NIH, NFL Alumni Association, and the Alzheimer’s Association, seeks to better understand risk and resilience factors that impact brain health and cognition, and to increase the representation of Black men in research. BMBH strives to reduce health disparities among Black men in cognitive aging, including rates of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). BMBH leverages a team of scientists and community members to produce culturally-responsive research, train the next generation of culturally-competent researchers, and to disseminate this work during its collaborative conference series. Dr. Arentoft serves as a Mentor in the BMBH Emerging Scholars research program and there are opportunities for motivated students to be involved in this work.
- ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE NEUROIMAGING INITIATIVE (ADNI-4): Ongoing since 2004, ADNI is the largest and most comprehensive Alzheimer’s Disease study in the world. The new core, ADNI-4, focuses on increasing the enrollment of historically-excluded, ethnoculturally-diverse older adults, better understanding sociocultural determinants of health, and increasing the cultural competence of the AD scientific workforce. Dr. Arentoft serves as a Co-Investigator on this project, and there are opportunities for motivated students to be involved in this work.
- HEALTH AND THE AGING BRAIN STUDY-HEALTH DISPARITIES (HABS-HD): HABS-HD examines imaging, clinical, biological, and genetic data, resulting in the largest longitudinal cohort of diverse populations in the U.S. HABS seeks to assess how lifespan exposome, along with sociocultural and behavioral data, affect the course of Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers. Dr. Arentoft serves as a Co-Investigator on this project, and there are opportunities for motivated students to be involved in this work
- SALUD STUDY: https://saludstudy.org/ Through our collaboration with Dr. Rivera Mindt at Fordham University, motivated students can be involved in the NIH R01-funded Study of Aging Latinas/os for Understanding Dementia in HIV (SALUD). This longitudinal project investigates sociocultural and biological factors associated with neuropsychological decline and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Data collection is completed for this project and data analysis is ongoing.
- HEALTHCARE QUALITY AND COGNITION IN HIV: our NIMH-funded pilot project examined how healthcare quality predicts the types of HIV medications that patients are prescribed, and how these medications affect neuropsychological functioning in areas such as learning, memory, attention, and motor functioning. Data collection is completed and we are continuing to analyze this data. We are focusing on disseminating this research through posters and/or publications.
Students in the ACENT lab
Students play an integral role in my research lab and gain valuable clinical research experience. Currently, all on-site projects have completed data collection, and motivated students can become involved in data analysis and dissemination, including presenting findings at research conferences and/or contributing to peer-reviewed publications. There are also opportunities to be involved with our external collaborators (described above).
Students are integrated into the lab using a developmental approach, where they are given increasingly complex responsibilities as they gain research skills and experience in the lab. For example, undergraduate students often begin by learning about data collection, coding, and entry. Graduate students (and some advanced undergraduates) may receive intensive training to administer and score standardized neuropsychological tests, psychiatric screening, and psychosocial / sociocultural interviews to research study participants when data collection is ongoing.
Experience in the ACENT lab is particularly valuable for students who are applying to or attending masters or doctoral programs in clinical psychology or other patient-oriented fields, especially those looking to specialize in neuropsychology.
Background information
Neuropsychological functioning and white matter integrity in adults with HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that targets the immune system. HIV also affects the central nervous system, including the brain. While there is still no cure for HIV, medications have been developed and refined over the last 30 years that can slow the progression of the virus, allowing people to live longer, healthier lives with HIV. However, many individuals with HIV still exhibit neuropsychological deficits, suggesting that HIV continues to affect the brain, and the patterns and severity of HIV-associated cognitive changes have shifted. A major area of research focuses on understanding these changes and factors that lead to these changes, including how characteristics of new HIV medications may affect neuropsychological outcomes.
Health equity, healthcare disparities, and stigma in HIV
HIV is a highly stigmatized condition and individuals diagnosed with HIV often face discrimination. Historically, HIV rates have been higher among vulnerable groups, including groups that are disenfranchised and minoritized in this country. Additionally, many vulnerable groups have less access to HIV medical care, receive poorer quality services, and/or have worse health outcomes, including neuropsychological deficits. Such health and healthcare inequities in HIV have been observed among African American individuals, Hispanic/Latinx individuals, men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender individuals, and people from lower income or lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Work in this area seeks to better understand the relationship between structural factors and biological, psychosocial, and sociocultural factors that affect outcomes among individuals with HIV.
Health-related behavior
Health-related behaviors are activities that are linked to an increased likelihood of injury or illness. This term encompasses a wide variety of lifestyle activities, from driving without a seatbelt, to alcohol and tobacco use, to activities associated with disease transmission, such as unprotected sexual intercourse and needle sharing. We explore cognitive, psychosocial, and sociocultural factors that predict engagement in various forms of health risk behavior in both young adults as well as in individuals with HIV.
Assessment of executive functioning, including impulsivity, in young adults
Executive functioning is a complex construct with many subcomponents. The term refers to higher-order cognitive functions involving neuronal pathways in the prefrontal cortex and involve cognitive control or regulation. It is disrupted in many clinical conditions and has significant impact on everyday functioning. However, executive functioning is still not fully understood. In fact, several neurological disorders in which executive functioning is thought to be a key deficit still rely on behavioral criteria rather than neuropsychological criteria given the difficulty and lack of consensus on how to best measure this construct. Work in this area seeks to better understand and delineate experimental cognitive and neuropsychological measures that assess specific aspects of executive functioning, self-reported measurements of executive functioning, and what factors may influence performance in these areas.
Selected Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KjVOY68AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Arentoft, A., Troxell, K., Alvarez, K., Aghvinian, M., Rivera Mindt, M., Cherner, M., Van Dyk, K., Razani, J., Roxas, M., & Gavilanes, M. (2022). HIV Antiretroviral Medication Neuropenetrance and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV+ Adults: A review of the literature examining the Central Nervous System Penetration Effectiveness score. Viruses, 14(6), 1151. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14061151
Fidaleo, K. E., Savin, M. J., Aghvinian, M. N., Summers, A. C., Arentoft, A., Byrd, D., Heining Cham, H. & Rivera Mindt, M. (2022). The Neurocognitive Implications of Depression and Socioeconomic Status in People with HIV. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2022.2149703
Rivera Mindt, M., Arentoft, A., Tureson, K., Summers, A.C., Morris, E.P., Guzman, V., Aghvinian, M.N., Alvarez, K., Robbins, R.N., Savin, M.J., & Byrd, D. (2020). Disparities in Electronically Monitored Antiretroviral Adherence and Differential Adherence Predictors in Latinx and non-Latinx White Persons Living with HIV. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 34(8), 344-355. doi: 10.1089/apc.2019.0256.
Kuhn, T. P., Schonfeld, D., Sayegh, P., Arentoft, A., Jones, J.D., Hinkin, C.H., Bookheimer, S.Y., &Thames, A.D. (2017).The Effects of HIV and Aging on Subcortical Shape Alterations: A 3D Morphometric Study. Human Brain Mapping, 38(2), 1025-1037.
Arentoft, A., Van Dyk, K., Thames, A.D., Thaler, N.S., Sayegh, P., & Hinkin, C.H. (2016). HIV-transmission-related risk behavior in HIV+ African American men: Exploring biological, psychological, cognitive, and social factors. Journal of HIV/AIDS and Social Services, 15(3), 299-318. doi: 10.1080/15381501.2016.1166092
Miranda, C., Arce, M., Fuentes, A., Coulehan, C., Arentoft, A., Byrd, D., Rosario, A., Monzones, J., Morgello, S., & Rivera Mindt, M. (2016). The relative utility of three English language dominance measures in predicting the neuropsychological performance of HIV+ bilingual Latina/o adults. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 30(2), 185-200. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2016.1139185
Arentoft, A., Van Dyk, K., Thames, A.D., Sayegh, P., Thaler, N.S., Schonfeld, D., LaBrie, J., & Hinkin, C.H. (2016). Comparing the unmatched count technique and conventional self-report direct self-report for sensitive health-risk behaviors in HIV+ adults. AIDS Care. 28(3), 370-375. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2015.1090538
Sayegh, P., Thaler, N.S., Arentoft, A., Kuhn, T. P., Schonfeld, D., Castellon, S. A., Durvasula, R. S., Myers, H.F., & Hinkin, C.H. (2016).Medication Adherence in HIV-Positive African Americans: The Roles of Age, Health Beliefs, and Sensation Seeking. Cogent Psychology, 3(1), 1137207. doi: 10.1080/23311908.2015.1137207
Arentoft, A., Byrd, D., Monzones, J., Coulehan, K., Fuentes, A., Rosario, A., Miranda, C., Morgello, S., & Rivera Mindt, M. (2015). Socioeconomic status and neuropsychological functioning: Associations in an ethnically diverse HIV+ cohort. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 29(2), 232-254. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2015.1029974
Thaler, N.S., Sayegh, P., Arentoft, A., Thames, A.D., Castellon, S.A., & Hinkin, C.H. (2015). Increased neurocognitive intra-individual variability is associated with declines in medication adherence in HIV-infected adults. Neuropsychology, 29(6), 919-925. doi: 10.1037/neu0000191
Sayegh, P., Arentoft, A., Thaler, N., Dean, A.C., & Thames, A.D. (2014). Quality of education predicts performance on the Wide Range Achievement Test—4th Edition Word Reading subtest. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 29(8), 732-736. doi: 10.1093/arclin/acu059
Rivera Mindt, M., Miranda, C., Arentoft, A., Byrd, D., Arce Rentería, M., Fuentes, A., Arias, F., Monzones, J., Rosario, A., & Morgello, S. (2014). Aging and HIV/AIDS: Neurocognitive Implications for Older HIV-positive Latina/o Adults. Behavioral Medicine, 40(3), 116-123. doi: 10.1080/08964289.2014.914464
Arentoft, A., Thames, A., Panos, S., Patel, S., & Hinkin, C. (2013). A deconstruction of gambling task performance among HIV+ individuals: The differential contributions of problem solving and risk taking. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 35(10), 1036-1047. doi: 10.1080/13803395.2013.848842
Arentoft, A., Byrd, D., Robbins, R., Monzones, J., Miranda, C., Rosario, A., Coulehan, K., Fuentes, A., Kubo Germano, K., D’Aquila, E., Sheynin, J., Fraser, F., Morgello, S., & Rivera Mindt, M. (2012). Multidimensional effects of acculturation on English-language neuropsychological test performance among HIV+ Caribbean Latinas/os. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 34(8), 814-825. doi: 10.1080/13803395.2012.683856
Arentoft, A., Sweat, V., Starr, V., Oliver, S., Hassenstab, J., Bruehl, H., Tirsi, A., Javier, E., McHugh, P., & Convit, A. (2009). Plasma BDNF is reduced among middle-aged and elderly females with impaired insulin function: Evidence of a compensatory mechanism. Brain and Cognition, 71(2), 147-152. doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2009.04.009
Rivera Mindt, M., Byrd, D., Ryan, E., Robbins, R., Monzones, J., Arentoft, A., Kubo Germano K., Henninger, D., & Morgello, S. for the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank (2008). Characterization and sociocultural predictors of neuropsychological test performance in HIV+ Hispanic individuals. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 14(4), 315-325. doi: 10.1037/a0012615
Rivera Mindt, M., Arentoft, A., Kubo Germano, K., D’Aquila, E., Scheiner, D., Pizzirusso, M., Sandoval, T., & Gollan, T. (2008). Neuropsychological, cognitive, and theoretical considerations for the evaluation of bilingual individuals. Neuropsychology Review, 18(3), 255-268. doi: 10.1007/s11065-008-9069-7