Confusion and Seizures
Because systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) causes inflammation within nearly every tissue of the body, it should be unsurprising that the brain can also become inflamed. When the brain is affected, it’s called cerebritis. In the event that Lupus affects the brain, patients will experience headaches, seizures, strokes, and even psychosis.
Psychosis is a mental disorder that causes a defective thought process, including frequent delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations, paranoia, and disordered behaviors and speech patterns. While this might be shocking, only 3% of lupus patients will experience psychosis as a cause of the autoimmune disease. However, while psychosis is infrequent, doctors do classify it as a classic symptom of SLE and will look for it during diagnosis.
Lupus will attack the nerve cells of the brain, too. 50% of patients will describe frequent memory loss, fatigue, brain fog, and have trouble describing thoughts. Similarly, the effect on nerve cells can cause things like seizures, drooping eyelids, ringing in the ears, vision problems, and even carpal tunnel syndrome. Children are more likely to develop neurological disorders as a symptom of Lupus than adults.
