Article Text
Abstract
Background Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of cognitive impairment (CI) of 39-46% compared to healthy individuals and it may be due to the disease, its complications, its therapy or associated comorbidities.
Objectives To determine the frequency and characteristics of CI in lupus patients without known previous NP events.
Methods Patients aged 16-51 fulfilling 1997 criteria for SLE enrolled from 06/2012 to 07/2013 were included. The ACR battery was used to determine CI, the Cognitive Symptoms Inventory (CSI) and Beck depression were also assessed. CI was defined as ≤2 standard deviations compared to the general population in at least one test. It was considered a focal (CIf) involvement if it affected one or more measures of a single domain and multifocal (CIm) if 2 or more domains were affected. To compare proportions, Fisher's exact test was used and to compare numerical variables, Kruskal-Wallis. A value of p<0,05 was considered significant.
Results Eighty-six patients were evaluated, 94% were female, median age 36 years (16-51), 90% were Caucasian, 8% mestizos and 1% Amerindian. Eighty % had high school. Median SLEDAI was 2.5% (0-24) and median SLICC 0 (0-8).CI was found in 65% of patients (56/86), focal (CIf) 32.5% (28/56) and multifocal (CIm) in the same rate. The affected domains were: memory 45%, executive functions 30%, attention 29% and language 4.6%.Depression was detected in 48% of patients. Risk factors were analyzed for the different groups: without CI (n=30), CIf (n=28) and CIm (n=28) although we found no statistically significant difference except for ethnicity (table 1). Non-Caucasian patients had a higher median SLEDAI of 8 (2-24), median duration of disease 10 (1-31), although CI was not associated with the number of years of education.
Conclusions A high frequency of CI was found in patients with SLE, non-Caucasian had higher CI with significant differences. Patients with CI had a longer history of the disease without reaching statistical significance, and it was not related to the number of years of education or with rates of depression.
Disclosure of Interest None declared
DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.2616