NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS - A COMPARISON WITH CHRONIC WHIPLASH PATIENTS

A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests sampling a wide ra nge of cognitive functions was administrated to 36 patients with syste mic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and a control group consisting of 31 pa tients with persistent symptoms after whiplash injury. Our results dem onstrated significant group differences and suggest that cognitive dys function is common in SLE and that there are significant abnormalities in the SLE group compared to chronic illness of nonimmunological natu re. Considerable variability occurred in the neuropsychological profil es for SLE patients. No significant association was found between cogn itive dysfunction and use of corticosteroids, except for the two neuro psychological tests Digit span and Seashore rhythm test. Associations were not found between cognitive dysfunction and depression either, ex cept for the Seashore rhythm test. These findings indicate that cognit ive dysfunction in SLE reflects CNS involvement, rather than coexistin g emotional disturbance. No significant cognitive impairment was found in the whiplash group. However, our results indicate depressed mood a mong the whiplash group.