Serum BDNF and cognitive dysfunction in SLE: findings from a cohort of 111 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is controversial in the literature. Cognitive dysfunction (CD) is a common, underdiagnosed NPSLE manifestation, but its pathophysiology is unknown. Thus, we investigate serum BDNF as a potential biomarker of CD in a cohort of SLE patients. METHODS: We included 63 SLE patients, 48 NPSLE, and 57 age- and gender-matched controls (CON). All participants underwent neuropsychological assessment. Data on cardiovascular comorbidities, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics damage index (SLICC-DI) were compiled. Multiple regression analyses evaluated predictors of serum BDNF levels. RESULTS: Serum BDNF levels were lower in SLE and NPSLE patients than in CON (SLE 800.4 ± 502.7 vs. NPSLE 779.7 ± 426.3 vs. CON 1,345.5 ng/mL ± 438.4; p < 0.001). In addition, hypertension (B: - 192.5, SE: 84.3, 95% CI: - 359.7 to - 25.3, p = 0.024) and SLICC-DI score (B: - 75.9, SE: 27.2, 95% CI: - 129.8 to - 22, p = 0.006) were predictors of serum BDNF levels in SLE. There was no relation between BDNF levels and CD. CONCLUSION: BDNF levels are lower in SLE patients than CON and inversely associated with hypertension and SLICC-DI scores. No association between BDNF levels and CD or NPSLE was observed in this cohort. These findings indicate that BDNF may be associated with overall burden in SLE rather than specific manifestations such as cognition impairment. Key Points • BDNF is associated with an overall burden in SLE rather than specific manifestations such as cognition dysfunction. • BDNF levels are reduced in patients with SLE, and higher SLICC-DI scores and hypertension are independent predictors of lower serum BDNF levels. • The cognitive dysfunction rate is elevated (46%) among Brazilian SLE patients.

Cognitive and Psychiatric Evaluation in SYNE1 Ataxia.

SYNE1 gene mutations were identified as a cause of late-onset pure cerebellar syndrome. Non-cerebellar symptoms, including cognitive impairment, were already described in this condition. The aim of this study was to perform a detailed cognitive and psychiatric description of patients with SYNE1 gene mutations. We performed neuropsychological and psychiatric evaluations of six patients with SYNE1 ataxia and compared their performance with 18 normal controls paired for age and education level. SYNE1 ataxia patients present cognitive dysfunction, characterized by impairment in attention and processing speed domains. Otherwise, the psychiatric assessment reported low levels of overall behavioral symptoms with only some minor anxiety-related complaints. Although this is a small sample of patients, these results suggest that SYNE1 ataxia patients may represent a model to investigate effects of cerebellar degeneration in higher hierarchical cognitive functions. For further studies, abstract thinking impairment in schizophrenia may be related to dysfunction in cerebellum pathways.

Neuropsychiatric Lupus in clinical practice.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease involving multiple organs, characterized by the production of autoantibodies and the development of tissue injury. The etiology of SLE is partially known, involving multiple genetic and environmental factors. As many as 50% of patients with SLE have neurological involvement during the course of their disease. Neurological manifestations are associated with impaired quality of life, and high morbidity and mortality rates. Nineteen neuropsychiatric syndromes have been identified associated with SLE, and can be divided into central and peripheral manifestations. This article reviews major neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients with SLE and discusses their clinical features, radiological findings and treatment options.

Neuropsychiatric Lupus in clinical practice / Lúpus neuropsiquiátrico na prática clínica

ABSTRACT Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease involving multiple organs, characterized by the production of autoantibodies and the development of tissue injury. The etiology of SLE is partially known, involving multiple genetic and environmental factors. As many as 50% of patients with SLE have neurological involvement during the course of their disease. Neurological manifestations are associated with impaired quality of life, and high morbidity and mortality rates. Nineteen neuropsychiatric syndromes have been identified associated with SLE, and can be divided into central and peripheral manifestations. This article reviews major neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients with SLE and discusses their clinical features, radiological findings and treatment options.

RESUMO Lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) é uma doença autoimune crônica que envolve múltiplos órgãos e sistemas, caracterizada pela produção de auto anticorpos e lesão tecidual. A etiologia do LES é parcialmente conhecida e envolve interação entre fatores genéticos e ambientais. Até 50% dos pacientes com LES apresentam envolvimento neurológico no decorrer da doença. Manifestações neurológicas estão associadas a prejuízo na qualidade de vida e altas taxas de mortalidade e morbidade. Foram identificadas 19 síndromes neuropsiquiátricas em pacientes com LES, divididas entre manifestações do sistema nervoso central e periférico. O objetivo deste artigo é revisar as manifestações neuropsiquiátricas mais importantes. Serão abordadas as características clínicas, os aspectos radiológicos e opções de tratamento dos eventos neuropsiquiátricos.

Neurophysiological studies and non-motor symptoms prior to ataxia in a patient with machado-joseph disease: trying to understand the natural history of brain degeneration.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 or Machado-Joseph disease is the most common spinocerebellar ataxia. In this neurological disease, anatomical, physiological, clinical, and functional neuroimaging demonstrate a degenerative process besides the cerebellum. We performed neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies-polysomnography, transcranial sonography, vestibular-evoked myogenic potential, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with (99m)Tc-TRODAT-1, and a formal neuropsychological evaluation in a patient with sleep complaints and positive testing for Machado-Joseph disease, without cerebellar atrophy, ataxia, or cognitive complaints. Polysomnography disclosed paradoxical high amplitude of submental muscle, characterizing REM sleep without atonia phenomenon. Transcranial sonography showed hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra. There was an absence of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials on both sides in the patient under study, in opposite to 20 healthy subjects. Brain imaging SPECT with (99m)Tc-TRODAT-1 demonstrated a significant lower DAT density than the average observed in six healthy controls. Electroneuromyography was normal. Neuropsychological evaluation demonstrated visuospatial and memory deficits. Impairment of midbrain cholinergic and pontine noradrenergic systems, dysfunction of the pre-synaptic nigrostriatal system, changes in echogenicity of the substantia nigra, and damage to vestibulo-cervical pathways are supposed to occur previous to cerebellar involvement in Machado-Joseph disease.

Cognitive impairment in Brazilian patients with Behçet's disease occurs independently of neurologic manifestation.

UNLABELLED: Neuro-Behçet's disease (NBD) presents cognitive and behavioral symptoms possibly explained by secondary dysfunction of frontal and temporal cortices due to subcortical damage, as NBD commonly involves the brainstem and basal ganglia. Nonetheless, there are reports of cognitive impairment in patients without neurological manifestations. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate cognitive function in Behçet's disease (BD) patients with and without neurological manifestations and to analyze clinical variables associated with cognitive deficits. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that compared healthy controls, BD patients without neurological manifestations and NBD patients. Each group comprised 24 participants. All participants underwent neuropsychological evaluation, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) application and brain MRI. Cumulative prednisone dose, years of education, and presence of white-matter lesions in brain MRI were recorded. RESULTS: 41.6% of BD and 41.6% of NBD patients showed impaired language and executive function, whereas visual memory was impaired only in NBD patients. Multiple logistic regression revealed that anxiety (OR 1.09 95% CI 1.03-1.16, p=0.003) and lower educational level (OR 0.62 95% CI 0.48-0.80, p<0.0001) were independently associated with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Cognitive impairment occurs frequently in patients with BD independently of neurological manifestation. Low educational level and anxiety are risk factors for cognitive impairment in BD.

Cognitive and olfactory deficits in Machado-Joseph disease: a dopamine transporter study.

Cognitive and olfactory impairments have been demonstrated in patients with Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), and a possible relationship with dopaminergic dysfunction is implicated. However, there is still controversy regarding the pattern of striatal dopaminergic dysfunction in patients with MJD. In this study, we investigated whether these patients had different dopamine transporter (DAT) densities as compared to healthy subjects, and correlated these data with cognitive performance and sense of smell. Twenty-two MJD patients and 20 control subjects were enrolled. The neuropsychological assessment comprised the spatial span, symbol search, picture completion, stroop color word test, trail making test and phonemic verbal fluency test. The 16-item Sniffin' Sticks was used to evaluate odor identification. DAT imaging was performed using the SPECT radioligand [(99m)Tc]-TRODAT-1, alongside with Magnetic Resonance imaging. Patients with MJD showed significantly lower DAT density in the caudate (1.34 ± 0.27 versus 2.02 ± 0.50, p < 0.001), posterior putamen (0.81 ± 0.32 versus 1.32 ± 0.34, p < 0.001) and anterior putamen (1.10 ± 0.31 versus 1.85 ± 0.45, p < 0.001) compared with healthy controls. The putamen/caudate ratio was also significantly lower in patients compared with controls (0.73 ± 0.038 versus 0.85 ± 0.032, p = 0.027). Even though we had only two patients with parkinsonism, we detected striatal dopaminergic deficits in those patients. No significant correlations were detected between DAT density and cognitive performance or Sniffin' Sticks scores. The data suggests that striatal dopamine deficit is not involved in cognitive or sense of smell deficits. This finding raises the possibility of extra-striatal dopamine and other neurotransmitter system involvement or of cerebellum neurodegeneration exerting a direct influence on cognitive and sensorial information processing in MJD.

Cognitive deficits in Machado-Joseph disease correlate with hypoperfusion of visual system areas.

Cognitive and olfactory impairments have previously been demonstrated in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), also known as Machado-Joseph disease (MJD)-SCA3/MJD. We investigated changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging in a cohort of Brazilian patients with SCA3/MJD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation among rCBF, cognitive deficits, and olfactory dysfunction in SCA3/MJD. Twenty-nine genetically confirmed SCA3/MJD patients and 25 control subjects were enrolled in the study. The severity of cerebellar symptoms was measured using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale and the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia. Psychiatric symptoms were evaluated by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. The neuropsychological assessment consisted of Spatial Span, Symbol Search, Picture Completion, the Stroop Color Word Test, Trail Making Test (TMT), and Phonemic Verbal Fluency. Subjects were also submitted to odor identification evaluation using the 16-item Sniffin' Sticks. SPECT was performed using ethyl cysteine dimer labeled with technetium-99m. SCA3/MJD patients showed reduced brain perfusion in the cerebellum, temporal, limbic, and occipital lobes compared to control subjects (pFDR <0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between the Picture Completion test and perfusion of the left parahippocampal gyrus and basal ganglia in the patient group as well as a negative correlation between the TMT part A and bilateral thalamus perfusion. The visuospatial system is affected in patients with SCA3/MJD and may be responsible for the cognitive deficits seen in this disease.

Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome in Machado Joseph disease: core clinical features.

The cerebellum is no longer considered a purely motor control device, and convincing evidence has demonstrated its relationship to cognitive and emotional neural circuits. The aims of the present study were to establish the core cognitive features in our patient population and to determine the presence of Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome (CCAS) in this group. We recruited 38 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) or Machado­Joseph disease (MJD)-SCA3/MJD and 31 controls. Data on disease status were recorded (disease duration, age, age at onset, ataxia severity, and CAG repeat length). The severity of cerebellar symptoms was measured using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale and the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia. The neuropsychological assessment consisted of the Mini-Mental State Examination, Clock Drawing Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Rey­Osterrieth Complex Figure, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Color­Word Test, Trail-Making Test, Verbal Paired Associates, and verbal fluency tests. All subjects were also submitted to the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. After controlling for multiple comparisons, spatial span, picture completion, symbol search, Stroop Color­Word Test, phonemic verbal fluency, and Trail-Making Tests A and B were significantly more impaired in patients with SCA3/MJD than in controls. Executive and visuospatial functions are impaired in patients with SCA3/MJD, consistent with the symptoms reported in the CCAS. We speculate on a possible role in visual cortical processing degeneration and executive dysfunction in our patients as a model to explain their main cognitive deficit.