Neurologic complications of systemic lupus erythematosus, sjögren syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract

Neurologic complications are frequent and often morbid in systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis. Although all are systemic inflammatory syndromes, each disease affects the nervous system distinctly, such as peripheral neuropathy in Sjögren syndrome, cerebrovascular disease in lupus, and cervical spine subluxation in rheumatoid arthritis. Some neurologic complications share convergent pathophysiology across diseases, such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders in both Sjögren syndrome and lupus. Ill-defined cognitive complaints are especially common in lupus and Sjögren syndrome. For the majority of the complications, evidence for treatment efficacy is limited and requires further investigation.