%0 Journal Article %A V Le Guern %A C Belin %A C Henegar %A C Moroni %A D Maillet %A C Lacau %A J L Dumas %A N Vigneron %A L Guillevin %T Cognitive function and 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT are significantly correlated in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome: a case–control study %D 2010 %R 10.1136/ard.2008.090811 %J Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases %P 132-137 %V 69 %N 01 %X Objectives: To assess subclinical central nervous system (CNS) involvement in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), by comparing standard brain MRI, in-depth neuropsychological testing and 99mTc-ECD brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of patients with pSS with matched controls.Methods: 10 women (<55 years old), with pSS defined using European–American criteria, presence of anti-SSA and/or anti-SSB antibodies and no history of neurological involvement were prospectively investigated, and compared with 10 age- and sex-matched controls. All subjects underwent, within 1 month, brain MRI, neuropsychological testing, including overall evaluation and focal cognitive function assessment, and 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT.Results: 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT abnormalities were significantly more common in patients with pSS (10/10) than controls (2/10; p<0.05). Cognitive dysfunctions, mainly expressed as executive and visuospatial disorders, were also significantly more common in patients with pSS (8/10) than controls (0/10; p<0.01). Notably, between-group comparisons enabled a significant correlation to be established between neuropsychological assessment and 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT abnormalities in patients with pSS (rs = 0.49, p<0.01). MRI abnormalities in patients and controls did not differ significantly.Conclusions: Neuropsychological testing and 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT seem to be the most sensitive tools to detect subclinical CNS dysfunction in pSS. The strong correlation between cortical hypoperfusion in 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT and cognitive dysfunction suggests an organic aetiology of CNS dysfunction in pSS. These data should be confirmed in a larger study. %U https://ard.bmj.com/content/annrheumdis/69/01/132.full.pdf