Table 4

Association between cognitive function and brain volumes including white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and neuropsychiatric symptoms of different origins

Global cognitive functionLearningandmemoryExecutive function
andcomplex attention
Psychomotor speed
B(95% CI)B(95% CI)B(95% CI)B(95% CI)
All patients
(n=151)
 Total brain volume0.00*0.00 to 0.010.00*0.00 to 0.010.00*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.01
 Grey matter volume0.01*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.01
 White matter volume0.00−0.00 to 0.010.00*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.01
 WMH volume*−0.05−0.18 to 0.09−0.07−0.18 to 0.05−0.11−0.24 to 0.01−0.14*−0.32 to −0.02
Minor/non-NPSLE
(n=115)
 Total brain volume0.00−0.00 to 0.010.00*0.00 to 0.010.00*0.00 to 0.010.00*0.00 to 0.01
 Grey matter volume0.01*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.01
 White matter volume0.00−0.00 to 0.010.00−0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.010.01*0.00 to 0.01
 WMH volume*0.02−0.14 to 0.17−0.03−0.17 to 0.10−0.07−0.22 to 0.07−0.07−0.22 to 0.07
Inflammatory NPSLE
(n=24)
 Total brain volume0.00−0.01 to 0.020.01−0.00 to 0.020.01−0.01 to 0.010.01−0.00 to 0.02
 Grey matter volume0.00−0.01 to 0.020.00−0.01 to 0.020.00−0.01 to 0.020.01−0.01 to 0.02
 White matter volume−0.01−0.02 to 0.030.01−0.00 to 0.030.02−0.00 to 0.040.02*0.00 to 0.03
 WMH volume*−0.14−0.49 to 0.21−0.11−0.43 to 0.20−0.22−0.52 to 0.08−0.36*−0.60 to 0.12
Ischaemic NPSLE
(n=12)
 Total brain volume0.00−0.02 to 0.010.00−0.02 to 0.010.00−0.01 to 0.010.00−0.01 to 0.01
 Grey matter volume0.00−0.03 to 0.020.00−0.03 to 0.03−0.00−0.02 to 0.020.00−0.01 to 0.02
 White matter volume0.00−0.01 to 0.020.00−0.04 to 0.030.00−0.02 to 0.030.00−0.01 to 0.03
 WMH volume*−0.02−1.00 to 0.96−0.12−1.14 to 0.89−0.28−1.08 to 0.52−0.21−0.86 to 0.44
  • These data represent B’s and 95% CI’s corrected for age, sex and intracranial volume. *p≤0.05. The B’s shown represent how much the (transformed) Z-score of a cognitive domain changes when the brain volume changes one unit.

  • *WMH volume: expected negative association with cognitive function, whereas all other domains are expected to have a positive association.

  • NPSLE, neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus.;