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. 2018 Dec 7:9:677.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00677. eCollection 2018.

A Conscious Resting State fMRI Study in SLE Patients Without Major Neuropsychiatric Manifestations

Shuang Liu  1   2 , Yuqi Cheng  2   3 , Zhongqi Xie  1 , Aiyun Lai  1 , Zhaoping Lv  1 , Yueyin Zhao  1 , Xiufeng Xu  3 , Chunrong Luo  4 , Hongjun Yu  4 , Baoci Shan  5 , Lin Xu  6 , Jian Xu  1   2
Affiliations

A Conscious Resting State fMRI Study in SLE Patients Without Major Neuropsychiatric Manifestations

Shuang Liu et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is one of the main causes of death in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Signs and symptoms of NPSLE are heterogeneous, and it is hard to diagnose, and treat NPSLE patients in the early stage. We conducted this study to explore the possible brain activity changes using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in SLE patients without major neuropsychiatric manifestations (non-NPSLE patients). We also tried to investigate the possible associations among brain activity, disease activity, depression, and anxiety. In our study, 118 non-NPSLE patients and 81 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Rs-fMRI data were used to calculate the regional homogeneity (ReHo) in all participants. We found decreased ReHo values in the fusiform gyrus and thalamus and increased ReHo values in the parahippocampal gyrus and uncus. The disease activity was positively correlated with ReHo values of the cerebellum and negatively correlated with values in the frontal gyrus. Several brain areas showed correlations with depressive and anxiety statuses. These results suggested that abnormal brain activities might occur before NPSLE and might be the foundation of anxiety and depression symptoms. Early detection and proper treatment of brain dysfunction might prevent the progression to NPSLE. More studies are needed to understand the complicated underlying mechanisms.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; disease activity; regional homogeneity (ReHo); resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI); systemic lupus erythematosus patients without major neuropsychiatric manifestations (non-NPSLE patients).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
ReHo value differences between SLE and HC groups (p < 0.05). Red spots show areas with increased ReHo values in SLE patients, while blue ones show those with decreased ReHo values.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlations between ReHo values and disease activity (p < 0.05). Red spots show areas with positive correlations with SLEDAI, while blue ones show areas with negative correlations.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Correlations between ReHo values and HAMA scores (p < 0.05). Blue spots show areas with negative correlations with HAMA.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Correlations between ReHo values and HAMD scores (p < 0.05). Blue spots showed areas with negative correlation with HAMD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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