1. Subcortical gray matter atrophy is associated with cognitive deficit in multiple sclerosis but not in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.
- Author
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Kalinowska-Łyszczarz A, Pawlak MA, Pietrzak A, Pawlak-Buś K, Leszczyński P, Puszczewicz M, Majewski D, Paprzycki W, Kozubski W, and Michalak S
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Atrophy, Basal Ganglia diagnostic imaging, Basal Ganglia pathology, Cognition Disorders etiology, Cognition Disorders pathology, Cognition Disorders psychology, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Gray Matter pathology, Humans, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic complications, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic pathology, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic psychology, Male, Middle Aged, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting complications, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting pathology, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting psychology, Neuropsychological Tests, Predictive Value of Tests, Prospective Studies, Psychometrics, Risk Factors, Thalamus diagnostic imaging, Thalamus pathology, Young Adult, Cognition, Cognition Disorders diagnostic imaging, Gray Matter diagnostic imaging, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic diagnostic imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting diagnostic imaging
- Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a significant clinical problem both in multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. In MS cognitive dysfunction has been associated with brain atrophy and total demyelinating lesion volume. In SLE cognitive impairment is much less understood, and its link to structural brain damage remains to be established. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between subcortical gray matter volume and cognitive impairment in MS and SLE. We recruited 37 MS and 38 SLE patients matched by age, disease duration and educational level. Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a battery of psychometric tests. Severity of cognitive impairment was similar in both cohorts despite larger white matter lesion load in MS patients. Psychometric scores were associated with global and subcortical gray matter atrophy measures and lesion load in MS, but not in SLE. In SLE, the lack of a relationship between cognitive impairment and structural damage, defined either as atrophy or white matter lesions, indicates a different causal mechanism of cognitive deficit.
- Published
- 2018
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