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    Neuropsychological assessment in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: clinical usefulness of first-choice diagnostic tests in detecting cognitive impairment and preliminary diagnosis of neuropsychiatric lupus.
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    Keywords:
    Neuropsychological Assessment
    Neuropsychological test
    Cognitive Decline
    The Authors submitted 53 randomly selected patients affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to neurologic evaluation to investigate the prevalence of neurologic manifestations, establish relationships to clinical and epidemiological findings and antinuclear antibodies and/or lupus anticoagulant (LAC), as well as to assess the usefulness of electroencephalogram (EEG), saccadic eye movements (SEM) analysis, brain computerized tomography (CT). Twenty-two patients (41.5%) had nervous system involvement on anamnestic and/or clinical examination: there were seizures in 5 patients, headache in 3, involuntary movements in 3, psychosis in 2 and cerebrovascular disorders in 9. The patients were subdivided into 2 groups, with neuro-SLE and without neuro-SLE, according to clinical and/or anamnestic evidence of nervous system involvement. There were no differences between the two groups of patients regarding disease duration, disease activity, presence of antinuclear antibodies and/or LAC. EEG and/or SEM and/or brain CT abnormalities were found in 38 cases, 18 of which had no clinical evidence of neuro-SLE. Instrumental evaluation can thus document subtle nervous dysfunction and offers the possibility of classification into: a) non-neuro-SLE; b) subclinical neuro-SLE; c) overt neuro-SLE.
    Subclinical infection
    Lupus anticoagulant
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    Objective: The San Antonio Lupus Study of Neuropsychiatric Disease is a longitudinal study designed to characterize the spectrum of and important risk factors for specific neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) syndromes. Methods: Subjects must meet criteria for SLE and must be at least 18 years of age. A standardized medical history, neurologic, rheumatologic, and psychiatric examinations, computerized neuropsychological evaluation, and serologic testing are performed. Results: This report is based on the first 128 subjects (120 women and 8 men) who completed the initial study visit. Data from this initial study visit were evaluated for the prevalence of NPSLE using the American College of Rheumatology case definitions for 19 NPSLE syndromes. One or more NPSLE syndromes were present in 80% of subjects: cerebrovascular disease (2, 2%; ischemic stroke); headaches (73, 57%); mononeuropathy (9, 8%; median 8, ulnar 1); movement disorder (1, 1%; chorea); neuropathy, cranial (2, 2%; trigeminal); polyneuropathy (29, 22%; sensorimotor); seizures (21, 16%; partial); anxiety disorder (27, 24%); major depressive-like episode (37, 28%); mood disorder with depressive features (21, 19%); mood disorder with manic features (3, 3%); mood disorder with mixed features (1, 1%); psychosis (6, 5%). In a subset of 67 patients who received standardized neuropsychological testing, 21% had normal results. In the remainder, the following levels of impairment were seen: 43% mild, 30% moderate, and 6% severe. Conclusions: The prevalence of NPSLE was high in this cohort of unselected patients with SLE. Headaches, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric disorders were the most common NPSLE syndromes seen. These results will be easily comparable to other studies also using standardized diagnostic criteria. However, the lack of ethnicity and language-matched normative neuropsychological data may make comparisons of cognitive dysfunction in SLE populations difficult.
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    Seventy unselected patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were studied to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and the association with other clinical variables. Twenty-five patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 23 healthy subjects were used as controls. All patients were evaluated with a battery of standardized neuropsychological tests to determine ability in 8 areas of cognitive function. Clinically overt neuropsychiatric (NP) SLE, cumulative disease manifestations and concurrent medications were documented. In patients with SLE, generalized disease activity was expressed using the SLE disease activity index. Cognitive impairment was identified in 15/70 (21%) patients with SLE, 1/25 (4%) patients with RA and in 1/23 (4%) healthy subjects (p = 0.042). The prevalence was higher in patients with active NP-SLE at the time of assessment (2/5, 40%) compared to patients with inactive NP-SLE (2/10, 20%) but was also increased in those patients who had never had known clinical NP-SLE (11/55, 20%). A history of serositis (p = 0.015), active SLE (p = 0.064) and corticosteroid use (p = 0.027) at the time of assessment were more common in patients with cognitive impairment. The results suggest that cognitive impairment is increased in patients with SLE. It may occur independently of clinically overt NP-SLE and is more common in patients with active disease who are receiving corticosteroids.
    Serositis
    Neuropsychological Assessment
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    Neurologic and psychiatric disorder is reported in up to 70% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). New classification criteria for neuropsychiatric SLE define 19 syndromes with characteristic clinical features, laboratory findings and imaging. Better diagnostic possibilities, particularly imaging methods reveal new data on some conditions: demyelinating disorders in patients with SLE, neuropsychiatric disorders associated with antiphospholipid syndrome. Based on neuropsychological examination the diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction, most common psychiatric impairment, is more often established.
    Demyelinating Disorder
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    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic relapsing/remitting autoimmune disorder with both primary and secondary effects on nervous system integrity and psychological functioning. In addition to the occurrence of clinical psychiatric syndromes such as psychosis, depression, and anxiety, other psychological problems documented with increased frequency in SLE include cognitive deficits and emotional distress. We examine issues related to cognitive function, including its assessment and prevalence, and confounding factors in interpreting cognitive problems as reflecting primary central nervous system involvement in SLE. Cognitive data in relation to other facets of the disease such as pain and fatigue, and subjective cognitive complaints are also discussed. Finally, we propose a potential role for cognitive assessment in the identification of SLE related depression.
    Depression
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    Background: The neuropsychiatric events are frequently encountered in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The psychotic symptoms and cognitive dysfunctions are relatively common in SLE with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Case Report: We present a patient with SLE with CNS involvement, who has also carried a diagnosis of schizophrenia for nine years. The presentation of progressive cognitive impairment suggested the diagnosis of SLE with CNS involvement. The result of the neuropsychological assessment showed great improvement after a six-month immunosuppressant therapy, especially in the dimensions of verbal and visual memory. The brain perfusion scan also showed the finding of remarkable improvement after treatment. Conclusion: This case shows the differences and complex presentations in psychopathology, neuropsychological tests, and brain imaging in those two diseases. Clinicians should be alert for considering other organic causes for progressive cognitive impairments in the course of chronic schizophrenia.
    Neuropsychological Assessment
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    Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease that can affect the central nervous system in multiple ways, including causing cognitive dysfunction. Cognitive dysfunction is a common complaint of SLE patients yet diagnosis is challenging, time consuming, and costly. This study evaluated the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE) as a screening test for cognitive impairment in a cohort of SLE patients. Methods A total of 118 SLE patients completed the SAGE. Providers completed the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics Damage Index (SLICC-DI). SAGE scores were grouped into normal (>16) and abnormal (≤16) categories. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results Of the 118 participants, 21(18%) scored ≤16 on the SAGE instrument. In univariate analysis, race, ethnicity, household income, and SLICC-DI scores were associated with the SAGE ( p < 0.05). In multivariable analysis, abnormal SAGE score was independently associated with higher SLICC-DI score (odds ratio (OR) = 1.44, 95% confidence intervals 1.04-1.99, p = 0.03)), Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 43.4, 95% CI 3.1-601, p = 0.005), and lower household income (OR = 11.9 for ≤$15,000 vs >$50,000, 95% CI 2.45-57, p = 0.002). Conclusions In SLE patients, this study demonstrates an independent relationship between neurocognitive impairment (as measured by the SAGE) and higher lupus-related damage, as measured by the SLICC-DI, and lower household income. Abnormal SAGE scores were also associated with Hispanic ethnicity. A language barrier could explain this because the SAGE instrument was conducted in English only. The SAGE was feasible to measure in the clinic setting.
    Univariate analysis
    Neurocognitive
    Affect
    Citations (10)