Hallucinations Common in Pediatric Lupus

The investigators were able to collect data on response to therapy for some of the patients: Six relapsed and 25 went on to remission (although 3 of these eventually relapsed).

Response was defined as the absence of psychiatric symptoms, no antipsychotic medication, and prednisone at less than 50% of the peak dose for at least 3 months. Remission was defined as absence of psychiatric symptoms, no antipsychotic medication, prednisone at 10 mg or less a day, or 0.2 mg/kg per day or less for at least 3 months. And relapse was defined as a recurrence of psychiatric symptoms, a requirement of at least a 50% increase in prednisone dose, or a change in second-line immunosuppressive agents (not due to adverse effects), or the addition of antipsychotic medication. There were 14 nonresponders. “The nonresponse may be because they presented in adolescence, and the follow-up was short before they transferred to an adult clinic,” she said.