Abstract
BackgroundThe involvement of the central nervous system is not rare in rheumatoid diseases. Even though children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may face academic difficulties until adulthood, very few studies have evaluated potential cognitive disorders in these patients. The present research aims to thoroughly investigate the cognitive and neuropsychological functioning of these patients.MethodsWe measured the cognitive profile of JIA patients via their neuropsychological profile, implicit memory and social cognition skills, and estimated their academic performance using reading and mathematics tests. We recruited 21 children with JIA aged 6 to 17 years-old (M = 11.01, SD = 3.30) and 21 healthy children matched in age, gender, academic level (same school class) and socioeconomic status.ResultsOur results showed that the cognitive profile and estimated academic ability of JIA patients are similar to those of their peers. These results support the hypothesis that children with JIA have the same cognitive predispositions to succeed at school as any other pupil.ConclusionComparing our results with the existing literature, we propose complementary hypotheses for further research. Longitudinal studies seem to be necessary to understand the psychosocial and cognitive processes involved in the development of children with JIA.
Highlights
The involvement of the central nervous system is not rare in rheumatoid diseases
Since school achievement depends to a great extent on cognitive functions [18], the aim of the present study was to contribute to the literature on paediatric rheumatoid disease by investigating the neuropsychological profile of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients, in order to assess their potential academic achievement
The results showed that both groups presented preserved implicit memory abilities recognisable by stronger activation of primed than non-primed stimuli in verbal modality (JIA, t40 = 5.65, p < .001; Controls, t40 = 6.75, p < .001) and nonverbal modality (JIA, t40 = 7.45, p < .001; Controls, t40 = 11.91, p < .001)
Summary
The involvement of the central nervous system is not rare in rheumatoid diseases. Even though children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may face academic difficulties until adulthood, very few studies have evaluated potential cognitive disorders in these patients. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic rheumatoid disease that occurs in children under 16 and affects approximately 32.6/100,000 children in Western populations [1]. JIA is a disease that significantly alters the quality of life and can lead to a disability that can persist into adulthood [2]. The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is not rare in paediatric rheumatic diseases, including in JIA [3]. The existing literature on JIA suggests the possibility of CNS damage due to the inflammation itself, to long-term medication or to pain linked to the disease. Beyond the risks caused by the inflammation itself, evidence has been put forward that neural impairments
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