title: Global Cognitive Impairment in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients: A Structural MRI Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated differences in subcortical brain volumes of SLE patients with cognitive deficits (SLE-CD) and SLE patients with normal cognitive performance (SLE-CN), regardless of the presence of other neuropsychiatric symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 40 patients divided into two-matched groups (SLE-CD n = 20; SLE-CN n = 20), with age ranging from 21 to 63 years old (100 % female) and 14.73 ± 10.18 years of diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging exams were performed on a 1.5 T scanner. A neuropsychological flexible battery was applied individually, including reasoning/problem-solving, praxis, episodic and working memory, processing speed, language/fluency, executive functions (inhibition and flexibility), and sustained attention. Z score ≤ - 2.0 in any dimension was considered as a cut-off for being considered to possess cognitive deficits. One-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to compare the brain structure volumes between groups. The analyses were controlled for the effects of lupus-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SLE patients with cognitive deficits had significantly smaller volumes in the left hippocampus, amygdala, and the right hippocampus than SLE patients without cognitive deficits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SLE patients with cognitive deficits appeared to have reduced temporal lobe structures when compared with SLE without cognitive deficits. These results corroborate a systems vulnerability model that investigated temporal lobe vulnerability during normal aging and in other neurological disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brigadeiro Trompowsky Avenue, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Room SSN29, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. nicolle.zimmermann@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nicolle
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brigadeiro Trompowsky Avenue, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Room SSN29, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.|Department of Medical Physics, Diagnósticos da America S.A., DASA, 4666 das Américas Avenue, Barra da Tijuca, 22640-102, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diogo Goulart
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Diagnósticos da America S.A., DASA, 4666 das Américas Avenue, Barra da Tijuca, 22640-102, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tadeu Almodovar
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brigadeiro Trompowsky Avenue, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Room SSN29, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tania Maria
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Netto
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brigadeiro Trompowsky Avenue, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Room SSN29, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denis Batista
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, 6681 Ipiranga Avenue, Building 11, Partenon, 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rochele Paz
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brigadeiro Trompowsky Avenue, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Room SSN29, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.|Department of Medical Physics, Diagnósticos da America S.A., DASA, 4666 das Américas Avenue, Barra da Tijuca, 22640-102, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emerson Leandro
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Gasparetto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020945:Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Cognition disorders; Magnetic resonance imaging; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Temporal lobe