[The value of number connection test in the diagnosis of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the influencing factors and diagnostic values of number connection test (NCT) in detection of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE).


METHODS
NCT was carried out in four hundred and fifty healthy volunteers to explore the influencing factors and to work out a reference value. Then forty patients with liver cirrhosis were studied with NCT, intelligence quotient (IQ) and evoked potentials(EP) to determine the value of NCT in the diagnosis of SHE.


RESULTS
(1) NCT results were influenced by age and educational background. The older the age and the lower the educational level, the longer the NCT time (P < 0.001); (2) The abnormal rate of NCT was 30% (12/40), being lower than the IQ abnormal rate of 58% (23/40) (P < 0.01). (3) IQ or/and EP were abnormal in 85%. (4) The combination of four tests i.e. block design, picture arrangement, object assembly and NCT were abnormal in 53% of the patients. Comparing with the abnormal rate (58%) of full set of IQ test, the sensitivity and specificity were 87% and 94%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
NCT result was influenced by age and educational background and the sensitivity was low for the scanning of SHE. Combination of four psychometric tests: block design test, picture arrangement, object assembly and NCT was recommended to substitute full set of IQ test in the diagnosis of SHE.
Zhong
B
B
Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
Chen
M
M
Wang
J
J
Yuan
Y
Y
Hu
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity