Correlation between a psychometric test and biochemical indices of hepatic encephalopathy in alcoholics.
OBJECTIVE
In alcohol abusers an alteration of responses to psychometric tests has been reported, even when clinical symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are absent. Our research was intended to individualize a simple psychometric test, easy enough to be performed also at the patient's home, able to reveal an impending encephalopathy and, consequently, to facilitate earlier treatment.


METHODS
Twenty-six consecutive male alcoholics were engaged and, after informed consent, the following schedule was applied: administration of a psychometric test, followed by a drawing of blood for the determination of many blood parameters. After 15 days of treatment to detoxicate patients, psychometric tests and blood examinations were repeated.


RESULTS
The results confirmed that common blood examinations are not useful to monitor brain damage in chronic alcoholism, that a psychometric test is able to demonstrate a therapeutic improvement and that a positive and significant correlation has been observed between BBCA/AAA ratio and WAIS Score.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary results suggest that it is possible to suspect dangerous biochemical changes by means of a simple psychometric test.
Manganaro
M
M
Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
Zardi
E M
EM
Ceccanti
M
M
Spada
S
S
Attilia
M L
ML
Pancheri
P
P
Biondi
M
M
Paga
G
G
D000328:Adult; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014888:Wechsler Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*