Can Sjogrens cause true dementia?

[ohiolady]

Yesterday, I read, in a post, that someone's 81 year old mother had dementia caused by Sjogrens.  Now, I know many of us have talked about our memory issues caused by Sjogrens but can it cause true dementia?  One of the articles, on the site, says it can cause memory issues but not the type to land you in a nursing facility. 

Does anyone have knowledge about this subject?

Thanks,

Anna

[inga]

No, one one really knows what causes most dementia.  At 81, it is not unusual to see dementia.

Also, please keep in mind that SjS has MANY definitions, from seronegative sicca to full fledges multiorgan highly seropositive disease.  No one can draw any conclusions about SjS at this point.

[Epson]

According to my neurologist, no.

[Chris58]

Hi.  It was my original post about dementia with my 81 year old mother.  All I can say is that two of my mother's specialists as well as the primary were the ones that told us that.  In fact, the explanation was made that where SJS causes the "drying" of tissues, etc., that was the same thing they were viewing in her MRIs.  I cannot recall the specific details, but essentially her dementia was/is caused from tissues in the brain "drying".  I hope this helps explain my original posting.  The specialists who told her that were rheum. who specializes in SJS and neuro.

I found information also from article by Dr. Steven Mandel on SJS that said: "Central nervous system involvement can include disorders involving the brain (focal and nonfocal) and the spinal cord.  Those focal deficit disorders in the brain can include motor and sensory loss with hemiparesis, aphasia, dysarthria, seizures, movement disorders, and cerebellar syndrome. Nonfocal diffuse disorders can be subacute or acute and can include encephalopathy, aseptic meningitis, cognitive function, dementia, or psychiatric abnormalities."

I hope this explains why we were told that and maybe clears it up a bit.  Maybe it depends on what each individual doctor thinks???  Chris

[inga]

Many, many people have dementia and no identified autoimmune issues.

SjS can affect the neuro system, but, it is hard to pin it on that unless they have the brain tissue.  Yes, SjS can affect the neuro system, and if you consider seronegative SjS---then it IS a neuro disease. 

My mom and gmom both died of dementia, one at 83 the other at 81...neither had SjS that we know of.

Again, one can't generalize since Sicca and Sjogren's have way to broad of a definition.  I am aware of the CNS stuff, but it has not been fully quantified, again since SjS isn't defined.  I have neuro damage, small fiber specifically.  I will likely get dementia, but, is it genes or SjS.  I am ANA+, ENA negative.

SjS needs to be specifically defined....as a disease, right now it is a syndrome, which is very broad, and very few conclusions can be drawn.  We have totally seronegative, partly seropositive and fully seropositive.  We have elevated sedrates, CRPS etc.....nothing is consistent.   We have no  solid definition or tests, such as scleroderma, MCTD or Lupus has.  SjS is the only 'syndrome' that occurs with other autoimmune disease as well.  We need way more research.

Also there is a risk of dementia with immune suppression treatment.  PML.

[ohiolady]

Thank you, Chris, for your explanation.  I definitely have memory issues since my onset of Sjogrens and it is a scary thing.  Most of the people here on the board seem to struggle with cognitive deficits but I've never heard of anyone having true dementia as a result of Sjogrens.  

Inga, I always appreciate your informative posts.  My heart goes out to you when you say you are likely to get dementia because of your genes.  My mom, grandmother and uncle all had dementia though several aunts and uncles did not.  I, too, feel doomed at times.  I must say they know very little about dementia as statistics change daily. 

Thanks everyone for your replies. 

Anna

[Chris58]

Thanks, Inga.  I am gaining more knowledge!

Such a world of questions.

I said it before, but thank you all for the personal information you share..........so much help.

[Bopeep]

What an interesting thread.
Thanks for the explanation Chris.

If a few more people were half as knowledgable about their relations or friends illness  as you seem to be Chris, us sjogrens people would, at last, be understood.

You are to be commended for your interest in trying to help your mum through this.

Inga you said this ... I must say, My mom and gmom both died of dementia, one at 83 the other at 81...neither had SjS that we know of.

Question, can you die of dementia??? How could that be, does anyone know please?

Although I do seem to have the occasional 'moment' I'd rather refer to it as, 'a Senior moment' lol.

On a more serious note I am taking care of my father-in -law since his wife died 2 years ago, his brother had altzimers,(not sure how to spell it) now Im finding Stan (the f-i-l) getting more and more forgetful. Trouble is my husband is also starting to forget bits at times.

[bloodless]

Interesting thread indeed. I have peripheral neuropathy and central sleep apnea (my brain doesn't send the signal to breathe). The PN did get worse. I don't know if the central sleep apnea has. It seems reasonable that autonomic neuropathy could reek all kinds of havoc.

[Chris58]

Bopeep, so sweet of you to say........I just want my mom to have some sort of relief.  I understand what you are saying, however, as I have had my own personal health issues that were so completely misunderstood or not recognized.  Mom knows I am talking to all of you and she is very excited.  She also says thank you.

Regarding the dementia, what we see in Mom's instance is short term loss more than long term or memories from long ago.  She may ask the same thing over and over in the space of 10 minutes without any recollection.......but she can remember things that happened earlier in her life.  As I am typing, I think it may be memories that occurred prior to the SJS!  Had not thought of that until now.  BUT.....she may get up and have a terrific day filled with clarity that is "normal" for her age.

[Rayven]

My grandfather with Alzheimer's has near perfect total recall of the 1940' and 1950's.  But he couldn't tell you what he had for breakfast.  The one thing that keeps him in the here and now a bit is sports.  We talk every day about what teams are doing what and where, who won and so forth.  I do need to repeat some of it a few times before he truly owns the information, but it keeps him "tethered" as I phrase it.

I know on his brain CT, it was simply described as "cerebral atrophy" but didn't go into much detail otherwise.

[Carebear]

Like ohiolady, I read the posting about Sjogren's caused dementia and it shook me to my core.  I'm having a terrible time with my thinking, and it's gotten much worse in the last few months.  And I have brain atrophy while only in my early 50s.

I have an appointment with my neurologist next month and I'll pick her brain about this (pun intended  ).

Chris - I'm very sorry to hear about your mother's condition.  Would you mind me asking if she even mentioned that she felt tingling or pressure anywhere in her brain or skull?  I ask because I have felt this myself in the frontal lobe area, along with daily headaches.

[Chris58]

Carebear:  Ask me anything!  No, she has never complained of anything like pressure or tingling.  She has few headaches and they are usually sinus/weather related and occur on same days that I have migraines.  I hope this gives you some relief in your concern.  On the same note but a different direction......do your headaches come on out of the blue quite quickly, or progress?

I am so sorry to have caused alarm with anyone.  Was never my intention.  Chris

[gphx]

Sjogrens can cause dementia.

Here is an article documenting a case of progressive dementia caused by Sjogrens which was successfully treated with Prednisone:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ana.410300117/abstract

Additionally Sjogrens inflammation can cause vasculitis which in turn can cause dementia as well.

[Chris58]

Thank you for the link!  I have forwarded to my parents and I will be reading through it with my husband.  Ironically, this last weekend my husband was talking to my parents about prednisone therapy and wondering if it could possibly help.