Principal investigator: Andrea Knight, MD, MSCE
Funded by: United States of America Department of Defense Lupus Research Program
Study Goals: To quantify the effect of Childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (cSLE) on brain structure, function and development. To determine the association of neuroimaging measures with cognitive test performance in cSLE. To determine the relative contribution of cSLE disease-related factors for predicting changes in brain structure, function, and development.
Description: This longitudinal study will examine the impact of cSLE on the developing brain in adolescents with new-onset disease, compared to age, sex, and ethnicity-matched healthy controls over 2 study visits. We use several measures to get comprehensive information, including cognitive and psychiatric assessment, advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and blood samples for future research. Read more about the study.
Impact: The brain continues to develop throughout adolescence. This research study is being done to explore the effects of SLE on the emotional and cognitive functions of the brain, to better understand why some patients with SLE experience depression, anxiety, and trouble with memory and concentration. This research will help us understand how SLE affects the developing brain by comparing results on these outcome measures between youth with a new diagnosis of SLE and healthy individuals.