title: Cognitive dysfunction in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of cognitive dysfunction in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Pakistani population, presenting at a tertiary care Rheumatology setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Division of Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, from March to June 2016. A total of 43 consecutive patients, who fulfilled the 2012 SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics) classification criteria for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), were enrolled. Cognitive function was assessed using Montréal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaire. Demographic data and disease dynamics were collected in a proforma. Cognitive dysfunction was defined as score < 26/30, adjusted for duration of formal education. SPSS version 16.0 for windows was used to analyse data and to calculate frequency of cognitive dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 43 enrolled patients, 95.3% were females and 4.7% were males, with mean age of 28.72 ± 9.25 years and mean formal education duration of 10.98 ± 3.29 years. The mean disease duration was 24.21 ± 30.46 months. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) were present in all patients and anti-ds DNA in 93% patients. Cognitive dysfunction according to MoCA score was found in 65.1% (n=28) patients. For patients with disease duration more than two years, cognitive dysfunction was found in 60% patients [p>0.05] and for duration of formal education less than 12 years in 74.1% patients [p>0.05].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, two third of SLE patients had Cognitive dysfunction. Hence, there is an increasing need to recognise and initiate early therapy for this overlooked aspect of SLE with an aim to achieve better quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Bilal Azeem Butt, FCPS (Medicine). Division of Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Bilal Azeem
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.affiliation: Sumaira Farman, FRCP, FACP, FACR, SCE Rheumatology. Division of Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sumaira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farman
authors.affiliation: Saira Elaine Anwer Khan, MRCP, SCE Rheumatology. Division of Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saira Elaine Anwer
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Muhammad Ahmed Saeed, FCPS (Rheumatology) FACR, FCPS (Medicine). Division of Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Ahmed
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.affiliation: Nighat Mir Ahmad, FACP, FACR, DABR, DABIM. Division of Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nighat Mir
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Ahmad
keywords: Cognitive dysfunction; Montréal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA); Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE); Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)