title: [A study for clinical correlation of neuropsychological test and brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to correlate neuropsychological test results with regional cerebral biochemistry determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients with liver disease were divided into 4 groups; group 1 chronic hepatitis; group 2, liver cirrhosis (LC) without a history of HE; group 3, LC with a history of HE of no manifestation, and group 4, LC with overt HE. All patients were examined using neuropsychological tests and brain MRS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trail making, Digit span, Digit symbol, and Peg board test in groups 2 and 3 were significantly different compared with control. These neuropsychological tests were regarded more available test for diagnosis of MHE. In the LC patients, compared with control, MRS results showed a typical pattern with decrease of myoinositol/Cr (0.24+/-0.24 vs. 0.68+/-0.10, p<0.05) and increased glutamine-glutamate/Cr (2.97+/-0.80 vs. 1.94+/-0.47, p<0.05). The difference of myoinositol/Cr and glutamine-glutamate/Cr between patients with MHE and control was statistically significant (0.16+/-0.15 vs. 0.68+/-0.10, 3.11+/-0.72 vs. 1.94+/-0.47, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuropsychological tests and MRS maybe useful for diagnosing MHE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jin Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Nam Ik
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Joon-Yeol
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Byung Min
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Jae Kwang
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyu Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hee Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Dong Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Kook Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Jae Moon
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests