A new study published in Lupus Science & Medicine investigated the relationship between homotopic connectivity, which refers to the functional and structural connections between the hemispheres of the brain, and cognitive changes in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Researchers found people with SLE exhibited altered functional and structural homotopic connectivity in certain parts of the brain which were associated with cognitive impairments or neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) , including deficits in memory, attention, and executive function (mental skills used to manage everyday tasks).
A total of 86 people were recruited for this study, including 54 people with SLE and 32 healthy controls. Each individual underwent MRI scanning and neuropsychological testing. Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) values and grey matter (brain tissue) volume was calculated, and an analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between VMHC values, grey matter volume, and cognitive scores. Additionally, clinical data was collected, and blood biochemical markers were quantified for the individuals with SLE. Researchers found that people with SLE showed increased VMHC values in the insula (the part of the brain responsible for sensorimotor processing and high-level cognition, social and emotional processing) and parahippocampal gyrus (grey matter cortical region of the brain), despite a reduction in grey matter volume in these regions. Both the VMHC values and grey matter volume in the insula and parahippocampal gyrus were negatively associated with lupus-specific antibodies.
The findings suggest that altered homotopic connectivity could serve as a potential biomarker for cognitive dysfunction in SLE which could help in early diagnosis and targeted interventions to manage cognitive symptoms. Future research is needed to understand cognitive change in people with SLE. Learn more about lupus and the nervous system.
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