Effects of dual-task exercises on cognitive status, disease activity and quality of life in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Many patients with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) suffer from cognitive dysfunction that seriously affects their quality of life, attention, visual and speech memory, motor function, reaction speed and motor perception and physical activity. This study aims to investigate the effects of dual-task (DT) exercises on cognitive status, disease activity and physical function of children with cSLE.

Method: 30 children with cSLE were included. During intervention sessions (2 days a week for 16 weeks), DT exercises were applied to all children having cSLE. The mental status of the patients by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), pain status by the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire, disease activity by the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)-2K, physical activity by the Childhood Activity Assessment Index and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and steps number recorded.

Results: McGill-Melzack pain scores and MoCA scores (42.70±16.85 and 20.86±3.89, respectively) were significantly improved after the intervention (36.53±16.55 and 23.73±2.72, respectively) (p<0.05). Additionally, IPAQ median metabolic equivalent scores (3171.73±3185.69) were significantly increased after the intervention (5592.40±6228.61; p=0.01). Lupus disease activity score (SLEDAI-2K) decreased from 2.79±3.20 to 2.18±2.23 with the implementation of DT; however, this was not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Conclusions: DT exercises can play a crucial role in enhancing cognitive status and physical function of patients with cSLE. There is limited research examining the effects of DT exercises on cognitive status, particularly in patients with cSLE.

Trial registration number: NCT05984316.