Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often experience a frustrating decline of their cognitive skills that includes considerable problems in attention, learning, and memory. This lupus-related cognitive dysfunction (termed SLE-CD) is recognized as the most prevalent of the nineteen neuropsychiatric SLE syndromes, as it affects up to 80% of patients and can significantly decrease their quality of life. The goal is to have tools that can be used for diagnosis and for monitoring responses after targeted interventions and therapies. This study will focus on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, which will be detected noninvasively from scalp placed surface electrodes while the subjects are in a state of wakeful rest. Our hypothesis is that a subset of brain oscillations known as theta and gamma, and their co-modulation or coupling will be disrupted in SLE patients. This research protocol will subject patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to scalp electroencephalography (EEG), with the goal of determining whether specific EEG patterns ('theta-gamma coupling') appear abnormal during wakeful-rest periods of 20 minutes. The investigators are interested in using scalp EEG because it is a standard, safe and robust technique for monitoring the electrophysiological activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex.
Patients will sit comfortably in a quiet room in a wakeful state and perform simple operations with toy blocks and look at three dimensional objects and answer some questions. The EEG electrodes fit into a custom-made cap and will effectively transmit wave activity just by touching the skin surface of the scalp. There is no need for electrode paste so at the end of the experiment the patient can remove the cap and go home. The entire procedure including fitting of the EEG cap will take about an hour.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
40
The proposed study is to determine whether EEG signals, namely theta-gamma coupling (TGC); The investigators are testing whether TGC can be used as a non-invasive novel biomarker in diagnosis and monitoring of insidious and difficult to detect cognitive dysfunction in SLE patients.
Northwell Health-Feinstein Insitute
Manhasset, New York, United States
RECRUITINGA measure of the amount and relationship of theta and gamma waves in the EEG recording. The ability to perform the block building task and the ability to choose among unfolded three-dimensional objects.
Patient will build with toy blocks and three dimensional combination will suffice. The patient will also observe three dimensional objects - cubes, for example, that are unfolded and choose a matching object from an array that includes the object and three foils. EEG activity will be recorded during this period. As the subjects will be fitted with noninvasive EEG caps (using dry electrodes that will contact the scalp directly) which will record the ongoing brain activity while the subjects, in a wakeful resting mode attempt to build with the toy blocks and analyze the three dimensional figures. This activity will go on for approximately 20 minutes. The EEG signals will be analyzed to determine the theta gamma coupling (TGC).
Time frame: Aim 1 will take the first 24 patients and they will spend an hour and a half undergoing EEG measuring TGC. For Aim 2 the patients will undergo EEG measuring TGC and predict the subsequent PET scan - which will occur under a separate protocol.
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