A new study has found that women with systemic lupus erythematosus who have problems with memory and thinking (mild cognitive impairment, or MCI) exhibit morphological brain changes, which may serve as potential biomarkers for early detection and monitoring. SLE disproportionately affects women and is frequently associated with cognitive impairment (CI), and research has shown that CI in women with lupus may be directly linked with grey matter damage – the brain tissue that is primarily responsible for processing information and controlling muscle movement within the central nervous system.
In the study, the differences in brain morphology were examined among three groups: women with SLE and MCI, women with SLE without MCI, and healthy controls. Using advanced MRI imaging techniques, researchers analyzed grey matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT), and features of brain surface structure such as fractal dimension (FD), gyration index (GI), and sulcus depth. They found that women with SLE and MCI had a significant reduction in FD of the left lateral orbitofrontal gyrus compared to the women with SLE without MCI. When compared to healthy women, both lupus groups showed reduced GMV in the medial of right superior frontal gyrus, as well as a thinning of CT in the left paracentral and postcentral gyrus and the right pars triangularis gyrus and superior frontal gyrus. Only the women with SLE and MCI group showed increased GI in the left inferior temporal gyrus. Scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were positively linked with GMV in the right superior frontal gyrus and FD in the left orbitofrontal region across all lupus participants, although no significant correlations were observed within the MCI subgroup alone.
Brain measurement changes could be used in regular cognitive check-ups for women with SLE, offering early markers of potential decline. The study highlights the significance of advanced imaging tools in the management of lupus and cognitive decline. Learn more about how lupus affects the nervous system.
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