title: Avoiding diagnostic pitfalls in neuropsychiatric lupus: the importance of attribution.
abstract: Neuropsychiatric events in systemic lupus erythematosus patients may present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Common and heterogeneous, their characterization and attribution to systemic lupus erythematosus and non-systemic lupus erythematosus is important and derived from clinical assessment, selection and interpretation of investigations. A standardized approach to assigning attribution has been used in recent studies. The current therapies are largely empiric, based upon known disease mechanisms and treatment of other serious organ disease in systemic lupus erythematosus. Further insight on the immunopathogenetic mechanisms and clinical outcome of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus is required to inform the design and execution of therapeutic clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Center and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hanly
mesh_terms: D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020945:Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: Neuropsychiatric lupus; attribution; systemic lupus erythematosus