[A study for clinical correlation of neuropsychological test and brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy].
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.
Nam
Soon Woo
SW
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Jin Il
JI
Park
Soo Heon
SH
Han
Nam Ik
NI
Han
Joon-Yeol
JY
Ahn
Byung Min
BM
Kim
Jae Kwang
JK
Choi
Sang Wook
SW
Chung
Kyu Won
KW
Sun
Hee Sik
HS
Yang
Dong Won
DW
Ahn
Kook Jin
KJ
Lee
Jae Moon
JM
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