Multimodal brain structural and functional analysis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients without overt neuropsychiatric manifestations: associations with disease duration, organ damage, and neurocognitive function

Even in the absence of overt neuropsychiatric symptoms, SLE patients demonstrated structural brain changes-specifically reduced occipital and thalamic volumes and widespread white matter disruptions-associated with disease duration, organ damage, and neurocognitive dysfunction. Functional interhemispheric connectivity was globally preserved but impaired in the moderate activity subgroup.