Functional neuronal network activity differs with cognitive dysfunction in childhood-onset systemic lupus...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Rheumatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Neuropsychiatric manifestations, including neurocognitive dysfunction (NCD), are prevalent in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE).
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers a method to evaluate brain activation patterns during cognitive tasks relevant to cSLE-related deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate distinct alterations in brain function associated with NCD in cSLE patients.
• To identify potential neuroimaging biomarkers for NCD in cSLE.

Main Methods:

• Neuropsychological testing was conducted to assess cognitive abilities and identify NCD.
• fMRI tasks were administered to evaluate visuoconstructional ability (VCA), working memory, and attention.
• Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast from fMRI data was compared between cSLE patients with and without NCD using voxel-wise and region of interest analyses.

Main Results:

• The group without NCD exhibited greater brain activation than the NCD group during VCA and working memory tasks.
• The NCD group showed increased activation during the attention task compared to the noNCD group.
• Brain activation during VCA and working memory tasks correlated positively with neuropsychological performance, while attention task activation correlated negatively.

Conclusions:

• NCD in cSLE is associated with differential activation patterns in functional neuronal networks during cognitive tasks.
• A compensatory mechanism may preserve attentional performance in NCD patients, but this mechanism appears insufficient for VCA and working memory challenges.
• fMRI-derived neuronal network activation shows a relationship with neuropsychological test performance, positioning fMRI as a potential imaging biomarker for cSLE-associated NCD.