Diffusion Tensor Imaging In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With Cognitive Impairment

Objective Studies were carried out to detect damage of white matter in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus combine with cognitive impairment using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis.For the SLE patients with cognitive dysfunction providing early diagnosis and pathology possibility.Methods Date from 11 SLE patients with cognitive impairment,11 SLE patients with uncognitive dysfunction and 10 healthy controls with equivalent gender,age,and education level were analyzed. MRI was performed on a 3.0-T clinical MR scanner.The voxel-base analysis(VBA) are used to analyze fractional anisotropy(FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC) of DTI. Student's t test was used to determine the diffusion difference between groups.Results The diffusion difference are compared each other: Compared with healthy controls,SLE with cognitive impairment show significantly decreased FA values in right parahippocampa gyrus, cerebellar tonsil white matter. Compared with healthy controls,SLE with cognitive impairment show significantly increased ADC values in right superior frontal gyrus, cuneus, middle temporal gyrus,insula, brodmann area 13,20,21,27,30,47,left middle frontal gyrus, brodmann area 10 and cingulate gyrus, corpus callosum. Compared with healthy controls,SLE with uncognitive impairment show significantly increased ADC values in right parahippocampa gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, brodmann area 10,25,left middle temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, brodmann area 3,13,19,25,and bilateral insula, corpus callosum. Compared with SLE with uncognitive impairment between SLE with cognitive impairment show significantly increased ADC values in right precuneus and brodmann area 6,21. Compared with cognitive dysfunction group between the uncognitive dysfunction group and the uncognitive dysfunction group between normal controls,brain white matter show no significant differences FA values.Conclusion The brain white matter of SLE are widely damaged. The DTI is more sensitive than convention MRI testing. When SLE combine with cognitive impairment,white matter was injuryed wider range.Speculated that these parts are damaged,SLE is more easily with cognitive dysfunction.