Assessment of Cirrhotic Patients by the EncephalApp Fails to Predict Low-Grade Hepatic Encephalopathy.

Dig Dis

Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Diabetology, Center of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany.

Published: December 2024

Introduction: An early detection of low-grade hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is of high importance. The aim of the study was to compare a neuropsychological with a psychophysical test on the basis of the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) regarding effectiveness in diagnosing minimal HE (MHE).

Methods: In our prospective controlled observational study, we examined a total of 103 patients with liver cirrhosis for HE. The PHES, CFF, and EncephalApp were performed in all patients. Graduation was based on the result of the PHES. Patients without evidence for HE 1&2 according to the mental state (West-Haven criteria) with a PHES <-4 value points and no clinical symptoms were defined as having MHE. Patients were considered as HE0 when in the PHES none of the psychometric subtest results was abnormal or with a PHES ≥-4 value points. Patients with clinical symptoms were considered HE 1&2 patients. Different cut-off values were determined, and their specificity and sensitivity were calculated.

Results: Ninety-six of the involved patients had liver cirrhosis and 25 acted as a healthy control group. The ROC analysis for the classification resulted in an AUC of 0.806, with the highest Youden index for the cut-off time >224 s, for which the sensitivity was 82% and the specificity 75%. Cases of withdrawals were seen in 10.74% of all tested patients.

Conclusion: The EncephalApp distinguishes well between HE0 and MHE but has its limitations in grading higher forms of HE. Diagnosis using only the EncephalApp is not sufficient.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000538924DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

hepatic encephalopathy
12
low-grade hepatic
8
assessment cirrhotic
4
patients
4
cirrhotic patients
4
encephalapp
4
patients encephalapp
4
encephalapp fails
4
fails predict
4
predict low-grade
4

Similar Publications

Hepatoencephalopathy (HE) is a liver disease that can lead to brain pathology and the impairment of human cognitive abilities. The objective assessment of HE disease severity is difficult due to the lack of reliable diagnostic markers. This paper examines the background to the emergence of HE markers and provides a brief overview of research results indicating the diagnostic value of potential markers isolated from a wide range of metabolites analyzed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Vasoactive inotrope score, renal score, fibrosis-5 index, and lactate-albumin ratio have not been investigated before in determining multiple organ dysfunctions accompanying infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The aim of this study was to determine whether multiple organ dysfunctions that may accompany HIE in infants are correlated with vasoactive inotrope score (VIS), renal score (RS), fibrosis-5 index (FIB-5), and lactate-albumin ratio (LAR), and whether these parameters can predict morbidity and mortality.

Methods: This is a retrospective study, and 106 newborns diagnosed with HIE and treated with hypothermia were included in the study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

There is a complex interplay between the gut microbes, liver, and central nervous system, a gut-liver-brain axis, where the brain impacts intestinal and hepatic function while the gut and liver can impact cognition and mental status. Dysregulation of this axis can be seen in numerous diseases. Hepatic encephalopathy, a consequence of cirrhosis, is perhaps the best studied perturbation of this system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Case Report: Type Ib Abernethy malformation.

Arab J Gastroenterol

January 2025

Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China. Electronic address:

Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt, also known as Abernethy malformation, is a rare anatomic vascular malformation. Patients with Abernethy malformation may present with abdominal pain, abnormal liver function tests, hepatopulmonary syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, and/or portosystemic encephalopathy. Accurate identification of the shunt and portal vein and effective management of complications is vital in these patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cerebral oxygen saturation in cirrhotic patients with gastro-intestinal bleeding, a near infrared spectroscopy study.

Metab Brain Dis

January 2025

Brain Liver Pitié-Salpêtrière (BLIPS) Study Group, Centre de recherche Saint- Antoine, Maladies métaboliques, biliaires et fibro-inflammatoire du foie, Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition (ICAN), INSERM UMR_S 938, Paris, France.

Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive optical technique allowing a continuous measurement of brain's hemoglobin (Hb) saturation in oxygen (rSO2). It is a marker of cerebral insult and rSO2 < 50% is associated with increased neurological impairment. Cirrhotic patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) often develop hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!