AI Article Synopsis

  • The study tested if cognitive brain dysfunction in cirrhotic patients worsens after receiving a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), even without visible hepatic encephalopathy.
  • Before and 6 months after TIPS, patients showed significant cognitive impairments compared to healthy controls, with a noted decline in cognitive processing speed post-TIPS.
  • The results suggest that even in the absence of clear symptoms, patients with portal hypertension experience further cognitive decline after the procedure, indicating worsening subclinical hepatic encephalopathy.

Article Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to test the hypothesis that subclinical cognitive brain dysfunction in cirrhotic patients would deteriorate after a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in the absence of clinically detectable hepatic encephalopathy.

Methods: Out of 49 consecutive cirrhotic patients receiving elective TIPS for recurrent variceal hemorrhage, we identified 22 patients who were not encephalopathic and had not undergone liver transplantation at 6-month follow-up and confirmed TIPS patency by Doppler ultrasound. Patients were tested before and 6 months after TIPS implantation using event-related (P300) cognitive evoked potentials, late somatosensory median nerve (N70) potentials, and standard psychometric tests (Mini-Mental State and trailmaking test A). Twenty-two age-matched healthy subjects served as controls.

Results: Relative to controls, patients showed significantly impaired P300 and N70 latencies and abnormal psychometric test results at baseline. Six months after the TIPS, a further impairment of P300 latency was observed (p = 0.005), whereas no relevant changes in N70 latency and psychometric test results occurred.

Conclusions: In cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension, neurophysiological signs of cognitive brain dysfunction are detectable in the absence of hepatic encephalopathy. A further subclinical deterioration of cognitive processing was observed 6 months after the TIPS. These findings demonstrate an aggravation of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy after a TIPS.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1572-0241.2002.05441.xDOI Listing

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