title: Primary Sjögren's syndrome is associated with significant cognitive dysfunction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cognitive dysfunction is a neurologic manifestation in primary Sjögren syndrome (PSS). On the other hand, several antibodies are related to cognitive dysfunction. The aim of this study is to assess the cognitive dysfunction of PSS patients via detailed neurologic tests. Moreover, its associations with antibodies were also evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight female patients with PSS and 17 healthy controls comprised the study groups. Short-term memory, long-term memory, verbal learning, visual memory, visual spatial perception, attention, verbal frequency function, executive functions and information processing speed were evaluated with neurologic tests in both of the study groups. Furthermore, anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) type anti-glutamate-receptor antibody, anti-ribosomal-p and antiganglioside antibodies were assessed in the study groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The attention, data processing speed, verbal learning, short-term verbal memory and visuo-spatial perception performances were lower in the patients with PSS when compared to the healthy controls. The difference reached statistical significance in Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (P < 0.01), Serial Digit Learning Test (P < 0.01), clock drawing (P = 0.03), Auditory Verbal Learning Test immediate verbal memory (P = 0.01) and Benton Judgement of Line Orientation Test (P = 0.03). Even if antiganglioside antibodies were more likely to be present in the PSS group when compared to the healthy controls, no relationship was found between its positivity and cognitive dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study suggest that cognitive dysfunction is quite prevalent in PSS patients without being associated with studied antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Education and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. engintez@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mehmet Engin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Tezcan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine Belgin
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Kocer
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seminur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haznedaroglu
authors.affiliation: Public Health Institution of Turkey, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cemile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sonmez
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ridvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mercan
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysegul Atak
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Yucel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ceyla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Irkec
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berivan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bitik
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000276:immunology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012042:Registries; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D013028:Space Perception; D014796:Visual Perception
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D005732:Gangliosides; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; D016202:N-Methylaspartate
keywords: Sjögren's syndrome; anti-glutamate-receptor antibody; cognitive functions; neurobehavioral manifestations