Reversibility of Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy Following Liver Transplantation

Ain Shams University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy

Treatments: Procedure: Liver transplantation

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02767622

875

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study included 20 patients listed for liver transplantation in addition to 20 age- and sex- matched controls. Neurological, psychiatric, laboratory and radiological examinations were performed for both patients and controls before and 6 months after liver transplantation. Assessment of cognitive functions by Trail Making Test A (TMT A), TMT B, Digit Symbol Test (DST), and Serial Dotting Test (SDT) was done before and after liver transplantation.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 55 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Right handed patients with biopsy-proven liver cirrhosis listed for liver transplantation

Exclusion criteria

• Overt hepatic encephalopathy.
• Significant cortical atrophy or other structural brain changes revealed by conventional neuro-imaging.
• Regular use of psychotropic drugs, such as benzodiazepines.
• Known major psychiatric disorder.
• Less than 6 months of complete alcohol abstinence.
• Post-transplant toxic levels of immunosuppressive drugs.
• Patients unable to perform the tests (Illiterate or upper limb motor handicaps).

Trial design

40 participants in 2 patient groups

Patient Group

Description:

Twenty right handed patients with biopsy-proven liver cirrhosis listed for liver transplantation.

Treatment:

Procedure: Liver transplantation

Control Group

Description:

Twenty age-matched healthy persons. They were similar to the patient group in respect to the number of education years, sex, and handedness.