Touma Z, Moghaddam B, Su J, et al. - Researchers distinguished 4 distinct classes of dual cognitive function and depressive symptoms. In 28% of patients (classes 1 and 3), persistently low cognitive performance did not significantly improve over 7 years. There was an association between cognitive impairment and depression status in 9% of patients (class 3). The study demonstrates that other factors also predicted latent class membership: ethnicity, education, disease activity, physical functioning, and bodily pain. These outcomes indicate the importance of periodic assessment of cognitive function and of different aspects relevant for assessing and managing cognitive function over time in systemic lupus erythematosus.

• The study enrolled a total of 755 patients, and they distinguished four latent classes: low Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) scores and low cognitive scores (no depression plus cognitive impairment; 20%), lowest CES-D scores, and highest normal cognitive scores (no depression plus normal cognition; 48%), highest CES-D scores and lowest cognitive scores (depression plus cognitive impairment; 9%), and high CES-D scores and cognitive score at borderline (depression plus borderline cognition; 23%).