Published Paper Details:

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease which is autoimmune in nature, often with multisystemic involvement. Of the various systems which can be affected by SLE, one of the more common yet relatively unexplored system is the central nervous system. NPSLE which involves the central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system (PNS) and autonomous nervous system (ANS) is one of the most complex and challenging manifestations of SLE. NPSLE can be mild or severe, focal or diffuse, acute or chronic, with a negative impact on the patient’s quality of life. The most common symptoms of NPSLE include mild cognitive dysfunction, mood disorders, anxiety, headaches, and psychosis. Aim: To study the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients of SLE. Results: Anxiety as assessed by Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 tool was 6.90 ± 2.27 in the treatment arm at the post intervention as compared to 9.50 ± 2.26 in the standard arm at the post intervention (p = 0.002). Patients receiving CBT showed improvement in GAD-7 scores as compared to control group (from 9.90 ± 3.4 to 6.90 ± 2.27). Conclusion: CBT improves anxiety symptoms as represented by GAD-7 scores. Thus, CBT or CBT-based interventions can be used with the pharmacological treatment of the SLE patients.