Application of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI in Assessing Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in SLE Patients

Motivation: To examine blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and to explore its association with neuropsychiatric impairment. Goal(s): To assess DCE-MRI's potential for predicting neuropsychiatric impairment severity and development in SLE patients. Approach: This study analyzed BBB permeability variations across brain regions in neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), non-neuropsychiatric SLE, and healthy controls, with correlations to MoCA cognitive scores. Results: Increased BBB permeability in specific brain regions of both NPSLE and non-NPSLE patients was found to be closely associated with cognitive impairment. Impact: This study leverages DCE-MRI to assess BBB permeability across varying levels of SLE severity, exploring its association with neuropsychiatric impairment. These findings highlight DCE-MRI's potential as an imaging marker for early observation of BBB alterations in SLE patients.