Principal Investigator: Andrea Knight, MD, MSCE
Funded by: Lupus Research Alliance
Study Goals: To examine trajectories of cognitive function, and investigate correlates to systemic IFN-mediated inflammation, brain injury and structural brain changes in adolescents with Childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (cSLE).
Description: We are currently recruiting adolescents with cSLE and healthy controls. Building on our work from “A Prospective Study of Multi-level Biomarkers for Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Lupus” and “The Impact of Childhood-Onset Lupus on the Developing Brain”, this study will follow participants over a three-year time period, utilizing advanced neuroimaging to characterize brain structure and function over time.
Impact: This study will leverage and expand upon ongoing studies to focus on understanding trajectories of executive function and structural brain changes in adolescents over a period of critical brain maturation, and investigate the inflammatory mechanisms underlying associated brain injury, studying sNFL as a potential novel marker in cSLE.