Zhou C, Dong M, Duan W, et al. - In SLE, subtle white matter microstructural alterations might occur due to immune system disorders and might be associated with cognitive deficits or emotional distress symptoms. This affords an enhanced understanding about the pathological mechanism of microstructural brain abnormalities in SLE.

• This preliminary coordinate-based meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies, including relevant studies comparing fractional anisotropy (FA) between SLE patients and healthy controls (HC), was performed.

• Overall five studies with seven datasets which comprised 126 patients and 161 HC were found.

• SLE patients were found to have significant FA decrease in the left striatum and bilateral inferior network, mainly included corpus callosum, bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, bilateral anterior thalamic projections, bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, left inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and left insula.

• No region with higher FA was detected.