Cognition, MRS neurometabolites, and MRI volumetrics in non-neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: preliminary data.
OBJECTIVE
To correlate cognitive dysfunction with structural and neurometabolic brain findings in patients with non-neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (non-NPSLE).


BACKGROUND
Over 25% of non-NPSLE patients have cognitive dysfunction, but the cerebral basis of this observation is not well understood.


METHODS
Seven patients with non-NPSLE and seven control subjects were given a series of neuropsychological tests and neuroimaging with magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Analyses of cognitive function and structural and neurometabolic measures of the brain were performed.


RESULTS
Compared with controls, the non-NPSLE patients were significantly impaired on a global cognitive impairment index (CII). No significant differences between the groups were found in choline/creatine (Ch/Cr), N-acetylaspartic acid/Cr, or hippocampal volumes. Ch/Cr was highly associated with CII across the sample.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to correlate cognitive impairment with an increase in Ch/Cr ratio among patients with SLE. These results, although preliminary, suggest that changes in cerebral white matter may be important in determining the subtle cognitive impairment that may occur in patients with SLE, even in the absence of neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Kozora
Elizabeth
E
National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado 80206, USA. Kozorae@njc.org
Arciniegas
David B
DB
Filley
Christopher M
CM
Ellison
Misoo C
MC
West
Sterling G
SG
Brown
Mark S
MS
Simon
Jack H
JH
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002794:Choline / Q000097:blood; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology
D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D002794:Choline