Non-stroke Central Neurologic Manifestations in Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Thrombotic manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are well known, and various non-stroke neuro-psychiatric manifestations (NPMs) have also been consistently described, but their place in APS remains unclear. Some syndromes, such as migraine or cognitive dysfunction, are frequently described in APS, whereas others, like seizure, multiple sclerosis-like symptoms, transverse myelitis, movement disorders, or psychiatric symptoms, are rarely found. Overlap with other autoimmune diseases, in particular with systemic lupus erythematosus, the lack of large sample size prospective studies, and discrepancies in antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) determinations complicate the study of the relationship between those disorders and aPL/APS. This review article aimed to summarize updated data on pathophysiologic, epidemiologic, and radiologic findings about non-stroke NPM described in primary APS and aPL-positive patients without overlap of other autoimmune diseases.