Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.9
3.3
Journals
Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Advances in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
share announcement

Advances in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropharmacology and Neuropathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 16671

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ricard Cervera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, 08036 Catalonia, Spain
Interests: systemic lupus erythematosus; antiphospholipid syndrome; systemic autoimmune diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neuropsychiatric (NP) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the most challenging organ involvements in this condition. Unfortunately, none of the NP manifestations that occur in SLE have features that are specific for SLE; therefore, determining the correct diagnosis is a challenging and critical step in order to decide the adequate treatment of individual patients, and in the performance of research studies.

Currently, newer and more advanced neuroimaging technologies are helping in both diagnosis and follow up. Additionally, advances in our knowledge of the main pathogenetic pathways (ischemic and neuroinflammatory mechanisms) allows for a better selection of therapies (antithrombotic or anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory drugs). Furthermore, a multidisciplinary expert team approach is, without doubt, the best strategy for managing NPSLE.

However, there are still many unmet needs in the management of NPSLE (absence of diagnostic biomarkers, lack of novel therapies, paucity of clinical trials, etc.), which will be the scope of the present Special Issue of Brain Sciences.

Prof. Dr. Ricard Cervera
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Neurolupus
  • Antiphospholipid syndrome
  • Neuroimaging

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

24 pages, 356 KiB  
Article
Cerebral Vein Thrombosis in the Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Analysis of a Series of 27 Patients and Review of the Literature
by Alba Jerez-Lienas, Alexis Mathian, Jenifer Aboab, Isabelle Crassard, Miguel Hie, Fleur Cohen-Aubart, Julien Haroche, Denis Wahl, Ricard Cervera and Zahir Amoura
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(12), 1641; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121641 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2263
Abstract
(1) Background: The Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by arterial and/or venous thrombosis, pregnancy morbidity and raised titers of antiphospholipid antibodies. Cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT) is a rare form of cerebrovascular accident and an uncommon APS manifestation; the information [...] Read more.
(1) Background: The Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by arterial and/or venous thrombosis, pregnancy morbidity and raised titers of antiphospholipid antibodies. Cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT) is a rare form of cerebrovascular accident and an uncommon APS manifestation; the information in the literature about this feature consists of case reports and small case series. Our purpose is to describe the particular characteristics of CVT when occurs as part of the APS and compare our series with the patients published in the literature. (2) Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study collecting data from medical records in three referral centers for APS and CVT, and a systematic review of the literature for CVT cases in APS patients. (3) Results: Twenty-seven APS patients with CVT were identified in our medical records, the majority of them diagnosed as primary APS and with the CVT being the first manifestation of the disease; additional risk factors for thrombosis were identified. The review of the literature yielded 86 cases, with similar characteristics as those of our retrospective series. (4) Conclusions: To our knowledge, our study is the largest CVT series in APS patients published to date, providing a unique point of view in this rare thrombotic manifestation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
10 pages, 1695 KiB  
Article
Structural Changes on MRI Demonstrate Specific Cerebellar Involvement in SLE Patients—A VBM Study
by Johan Mårtensson, Theodor Rumetshofer, Jessika Nystedt, Jimmy Lätt, Petra Nilsson, Anders Bengtsson, Andreas Jönsen and Pia C. Sundgren
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(4), 510; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11040510 - 16 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2263
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate possible differences in brain structure, as measured by T1-weighted MRI, between patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls (HC), and whether any observed differences were in turn more severe in SLE patients with [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study is to investigate possible differences in brain structure, as measured by T1-weighted MRI, between patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls (HC), and whether any observed differences were in turn more severe in SLE patients with neuropsychiatric manifestations (NPSLE) than those without (non-NPSLE). Structural T1-weighted MRI was performed on 69 female SLE patients (mean age = 35.8 years, range = 18–51 years) and 24 age-matched female HC (mean age = 36.8 years, range = 23–52 years) in conjunction with neuropsychological assessment using the CNS Vital Signs test battery. T1-weighted images were preprocessed and analyzed by FSL-VBM. The results show that SLE patients had lower grey matter probability values than the control group in the VIIIa of the cerebellum bilaterally, a region that has previously been implied in sensorimotor processing in human and non-human primates. No structural differences for this region were found between NPSLE and non-NPSLE patients. VBM values from the VIIIa region showed a weak positive correlation with the psychomotor speed domain from CNS Vital Signs (p = 0.05, r = 0.21), which is in line with its presumed role as a sensorimotor processing area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

11 pages, 3527 KiB  
Review
Cognitive Impairment in Anti-Phospholipid Syndrome and Anti-Phospholipid Antibody Carriers
by Fadi Hassan, Mohammad E. Naffaa, Amir Saab and Chaim Putterman
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(2), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12020222 - 05 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1863
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is frequently reported among anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) patients as well as anti-phospholipid antibody (aPL) carriers, but it is less studied than other manifestations of this condition. Moreover, the exact prevalence of cognitive impairment in these patients has not been accurately determined, [...] Read more.
Cognitive impairment is frequently reported among anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) patients as well as anti-phospholipid antibody (aPL) carriers, but it is less studied than other manifestations of this condition. Moreover, the exact prevalence of cognitive impairment in these patients has not been accurately determined, mainly due to inconsistency in the tools used to identify impairment, small sample sizes, and variability in the anti-phospholipid antibodies measured and positivity cutoffs. The notion of a direct pathogenic effect is supported by the observation that the higher the number of aPLs present and the higher the load of the specific antibody, the greater the risk of cognitive impairment. There is some evidence to suggest that besides the thrombotic process, inflammation-related pathways play a role in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in APS. The cornerstone treatments of APS are anti-coagulant and anti-thrombotic medications. These treatments have shown some favorable effects in reversing cognitive impairment, but solid evidence for the efficacy and safety of these treatments in the context of cognitive impairment is still lacking. In this article, we review the current knowledge regarding the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical associations, and treatment of cognitive impairment associated with APS and aPL positivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 296 KiB  
Review
Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Literature Review of the Last Decade
by Julius Lindblom, Chandra Mohan and Ioannis Parodis
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(2), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12020192 - 30 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4322
Abstract
Nervous system involvement in patients with SLE, termed neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), constitutes a diagnostic challenge, and its management is still poorly optimised. This review summarises recent insights over the past decade in laboratory biomarkers of diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of NPSLE. An initial [...] Read more.
Nervous system involvement in patients with SLE, termed neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), constitutes a diagnostic challenge, and its management is still poorly optimised. This review summarises recent insights over the past decade in laboratory biomarkers of diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of NPSLE. An initial systematic search in the Medline and Web of Science was conducted to guide the selection of articles. Emerging diagnostic biomarkers in NPSLE that displayed satisfactory ability to discriminate between NPSLE and controls include serum interleukin (IL)-6, microRNA (miR)-23a, miR-155, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) α-Klotho. CSF lipocalin-2, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and immunoglobulin (Ig)M also displayed such ability in two ethnically diverse cohorts. Serum interferon (IFN)-α and neuron specific enolase (NSE) were recently reported to moderately correlate with disease activity in patients with active NPSLE. CSF IL-8, IL-13, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) exhibited excellent sensitivity, yet poorer specificity, as predictors of response to therapy in patients with NPSLE. The overall lack of validation studies across multiple and diverse cohorts necessitates further and well-concerted investigations. Nevertheless, we propound CSF lipocalin 2 among molecules that hold promise as reliable diagnostic biomarkers in NPSLE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
15 pages, 352 KiB  
Review
Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Antiphospholipid Syndrome—A Narrative Review
by Yik Long Man and Giovanni Sanna
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12010091 - 11 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3064
Abstract
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common autoimmune pro-thrombotic condition characterised by thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity. There are a broad range of neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with APS, from focal symptoms to more global dysfunction. Patients commonly present with transient ischaemic attacks and ischaemic strokes, [...] Read more.
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common autoimmune pro-thrombotic condition characterised by thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity. There are a broad range of neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with APS, from focal symptoms to more global dysfunction. Patients commonly present with transient ischaemic attacks and ischaemic strokes, with identifiable lesions on brain imaging. However, the underlying pathogenesis remains uncertain in other manifestations, such as cognitive dysfunction, seizures, headache and chorea. The aim is to provide a comprehensive review of the various neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with APS. A detailed literature search was applied to PubMed, including citations from 1983 to December 2021. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
16 pages, 811 KiB  
Review
Cerebral Microstructure Analysis by Diffusion-Based MRI in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Lessons Learned and Research Directions
by Ettore Silvagni, Alessandra Bortoluzzi, Massimo Borrelli, Andrea Bianchi, Enrico Fainardi and Marcello Govoni
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12010070 - 31 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1969
Abstract
Diffusion-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, namely diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI), have been performed in the context of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), either with or without neuropsychiatric (NP) involvement, to deepen cerebral microstructure alterations. These techniques permit the measurement of [...] Read more.
Diffusion-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, namely diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI), have been performed in the context of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), either with or without neuropsychiatric (NP) involvement, to deepen cerebral microstructure alterations. These techniques permit the measurement of the variations in random movement of water molecules in tissues, enabling their microarchitecture analysis. While DWI is recommended as part of the initial MRI assessment of SLE patients suspected for NP involvement, DTI is not routinely part of the instrumental evaluation for clinical purposes, and it has been mainly used for research. DWI and DTI studies revealed less restricted movement of water molecules inside cerebral white matter (WM), expression of a global loss of WM density, occurring in the context of SLE, prevalently, but not exclusively, in case of NP involvement. More advanced studies have combined DTI with other quantitative MRI techniques, to further characterize disease pathogenesis, while brain connectomes analysis revealed structural WM network disruption. In this narrative review, the authors provide a summary of the evidence regarding cerebral microstructure analysis by DWI and DTI studies in SLE, focusing on lessons learned and future research perspectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop