The Effect of Induced Hyperammonaemia on Sleep and Melanopsin-mediated Pupillary Light Response in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis

Rigshospitalet

Status

Completed

Conditions

Hepatic Encephalopathy

Liver Cirrhosis

Sleep Disturbance

Treatments

Dietary Supplement: Amino Acid Challenge (AAC)

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04771104

H15000210

Details and patient eligibility

About

Sleep disturbances are common among patients with liver cirrhosis, but the reasons are not well understood. In this project the investigators evaluated whether an increase in blood ammonia in patients with cirrhosis had an impact on sleep quality and the function of retinal ganglion cells measured by pupillary response to blue light.

Enrollment

9 patients

Sex

All

Ages

20 to 80 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Patients with a clinical diagnosis of Child Pugh Class A or B cirrhosis
Written informed consent
>20 and <80 years of age

Exclusion criteria

Misuse of alcohol in the preceding 6 months,
Episodes of hepatic decompensation leading to in-patient admissions during the previous month
History or clinical signs of overt HE or severe sleep-wake disturbances
On anti-HE treatment (lactulose, rifaximin, Hepa-Merz, Generaid, Bramino)
History of significant head injury
Neurological/psychiatric comorbidity needing medical treatment
Taking neuroactive medication/medication known to affect sleep
Travel across more than two time zones in the preceding 3 months
Shift work in the preceding 5 years
Contraindications for arterial puncture (negative collateral circulation test, wrist infection or vascular abnormalities).