Cerebral microvascular and microstructural integrity is regionally altered in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

To measure regional brain microvascular and microstructural changes in childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at multiple b values and investigate relationships of those measures with neurocognitive function and disease activity.

Methods

In this cross-sectional, case-control study, vascular volume fraction, effective diffusion, parenchymal diffusion, and blood flow parameters were regionally compared in cSLE patients and matched healthy controls. These markers of microvascular and microstructural integrity were derived by diffusion-weighted brain MRI and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) modeling. Formal neurocognitive testing was completed focused on the domains of attention, visuoconstructional ability, working memory, and psychomoto

SUBMITTER: DiFrancesco MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7281933 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature