title: Cerebral blood flow in depressed patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the neural circuitry involved in depression associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to study regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in patients with SLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  SPECT with (99m)Tc-ethylcysteinate dimer was performed in 30 depressed women patients with SLE, in 14 women patients with SLE and without history of neuropsychiatric disorders, and in 25 healthy women controls. Magnetic resonance imaging was done for all subjects for diagnostic purposes. Analysis of CBF patterns was performed using statistical parametric mapping. Statistical significance was taken at uncorrected p < 0.001 at cluster level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between depressed and nondepressed patients with SLE for any rheumatologic variable. In comparison to healthy controls, depressed patients with SLE had significantly reduced CBF in bilateral frontal and temporal cortex; global maximum was located in the left precentral gyrus. There were no significant CBF differences between nondepressed patients with SLE and controls. Compared to nondepressed patients with SLE, depressed patients with SLE had significantly lower CBF in 2 clusters that had their local maxima in the right precentral gyrus and in the left superior temporal gyrus. The duration of SLE correlated with decreased perfusion in the left middle and superior frontal gyrus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depressed patients with SLE have CBF reductions in discrete temporal and frontal regions that may account for depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pisa Medical School, Pisa, Italy. giovacchinig@uhbs.ch
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovacchini
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Gianpiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Della Porta
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bombardieri
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciarmiello
authors.forename: H William
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Duccio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Volterrani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds