title: Are cognitive and olfactory dysfunctions in neuropsychiatric lupus erythematosus dependent on anxiety or depression?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depressed mood and cognitive impairments are common findings in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and frequently coexist. We assessed the neuropsychological functioning of patients with SLE and investigated its association with psychopathological symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 85 patients with SLE (28 with neuropsychiatric syndromes: NPSLE) and 85 healthy control subjects with similar demographic characteristics were asked to perform a series of neuropsychological tests. A self-report questionnaire (the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) was used to screen for psychopathology symptoms. Patients with SLE underwent a neurological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with NPSLE were more depressed and were more frequently impaired in cognitive and olfactory functions than controls or non-NPSLE patients. The NPSLE group remained statistically different from the other 2 groups on a series of neuropsychological measures (the Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Trail Making Test - Part A, Nine-Hole Peg Test, and Brief Smell Identification Test) even after control for elevated anxiety and depressed mood. Non-NPSLE and control groups were not significantly different regarding either psychopathological symptoms or neuropsychological functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Verbal memory, psychomotor speed, and olfaction are particularly vulnerable to dysfunction in NPSLE; impairment in these neuropsychological domains is not completely explained by psychopathology symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Hospital S. António, Serviço de Neurologia, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal. saramscavaco@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cavaco
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martins da Silva
authors.forename: Ernestina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teixeira-Pinto
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020945:Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology