ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

  • Meetings
    • ACR Convergence 2024
    • ACR Convergence 2023
    • 2023 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • ACR Convergence 2022
    • ACR Convergence 2021
    • ACR Convergence 2020
    • 2020 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
    • 2018-2009 Meetings
    • Download Abstracts
  • Keyword Index
  • Advanced Search
  • Your Favorites
    • Favorites
    • Login
    • View and print all favorites
    • Clear all your favorites
  • ACR Meetings

Abstract Number: 1174

Perceived Stress and Reported Cognitive Symptoms Among Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Laura Plantinga1, Cristina Drenkard2, C. Barrett Bowling1 and S. Sam Lim3, 1Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 2Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 3Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Meeting: 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Date of first publication: September 28, 2016

Keywords: cognitive dysfunction and stress, Lupus

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
Session Information

Date: Monday, November 14, 2016

Title: Epidemiology and Public Health - Poster II

Session Type: ACR Poster Session B

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose:  Higher stress is associated with lower cognitive functioning in many populations. We examined associations of perceived stress with cognitive symptoms among adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic, complex autoimmune disorder.

Methods:  We obtained cross-sectional data for 799 Atlanta-area SLE patients ≥18 years old on scores from the validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; range, 0-40 with higher scores=higher stress) and two self-reported cognitive symptoms: forgetfulness [severe/moderate vs. mild/none; from the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire (SLAQ)] and difficulty concentrating (all/most vs. some/little/none of the time; from the Lupus Impact Tracker). We estimated mean PSS scores and percentages of patients with cognitive symptoms, overall and by age (18-39, 40-59, and 60+), race, sex, and high vs. low disease activity [≥ vs. <  median SLAQ score (=15), after excluding the forgetfulness item]. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for the associations between PSS score (minimal clinically important difference=0.5*SD=4.0 points) and cognitive symptoms.

Results:  Overall, 41.6% and 29.4% of participants reported forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating. Women were twice as likely to report forgetfulness (P=0.004) and those with high vs. low disease activity were ~3- and 4-fold more likely to report forgetfulness (P<0.001) and difficulty concentrating (P<0.001), respectively (Figure). Mean PSS scores were lower in the oldest SLE patients (P=0.002) and those with low disease activity (P<0.001). With adjustment for age, race, sex, education, income, and disease activity, each 4.0-point increase in PSS score was associated with 1.3- and 2.1-fold higher prevalence of forgetfulness (OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.21-1.47) and difficulty concentrating (OR=2.12, 95% CI 1.83-2.44). No substantial differences in this association by age, race, sex, or disease activity were noted, and interaction terms were not statistically significant.

Conclusion:  SLE patients, particularly those with high disease activity, report a substantial burden of cognitive symptoms. These symptoms are associated with higher perceived stress, regardless of disease activity or other patient characteristics. This relatively young patient population may be susceptible to cognitive symptoms often linked with geriatric syndromes, for which stress may represent a modifiable risk factor.  


Disclosure: L. Plantinga, None; C. Drenkard, None; C. B. Bowling, None; S. S. Lim, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Plantinga L, Drenkard C, Bowling CB, Lim SS. Perceived Stress and Reported Cognitive Symptoms Among Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016; 68 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/perceived-stress-and-reported-cognitive-symptoms-among-patients-with-systemic-lupus-erythematosus/. Accessed .
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

« Back to 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/perceived-stress-and-reported-cognitive-symptoms-among-patients-with-systemic-lupus-erythematosus/

Advanced Search

Your Favorites

You can save and print a list of your favorite abstracts during your browser session by clicking the “Favorite” button at the bottom of any abstract. View your favorites »

All abstracts accepted to ACR Convergence are under media embargo once the ACR has notified presenters of their abstract’s acceptance. They may be presented at other meetings or published as manuscripts after this time but should not be discussed in non-scholarly venues or outlets. The following embargo policies are strictly enforced by the ACR.

Accepted abstracts are made available to the public online in advance of the meeting and are published in a special online supplement of our scientific journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology. Information contained in those abstracts may not be released until the abstracts appear online. In an exception to the media embargo, academic institutions, private organizations, and companies with products whose value may be influenced by information contained in an abstract may issue a press release to coincide with the availability of an ACR abstract on the ACR website. However, the ACR continues to require that information that goes beyond that contained in the abstract (e.g., discussion of the abstract done as part of editorial news coverage) is under media embargo until 10:00 AM ET on November 14, 2024. Journalists with access to embargoed information cannot release articles or editorial news coverage before this time. Editorial news coverage is considered original articles/videos developed by employed journalists to report facts, commentary, and subject matter expert quotes in a narrative form using a variety of sources (e.g., research, announcements, press releases, events, etc.).

Violation of this policy may result in the abstract being withdrawn from the meeting and other measures deemed appropriate. Authors are responsible for notifying colleagues, institutions, communications firms, and all other stakeholders related to the development or promotion of the abstract about this policy. If you have questions about the ACR abstract embargo policy, please contact ACR abstracts staff at [email protected].

Wiley

  • Online Journal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Permissions Policies
  • Cookie Preferences

© Copyright 2025 American College of Rheumatology