title: Mental status impairment in patients with West Haven grade zero hepatic encephalopathy: the role of HCV infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In patients with cirrhosis, subclinical hepatic encephalopathy, which negatively affects the activity of daily living, is often unidentified. In a multicenter observational study, we investigated the possibility of detecting minimal neurological changes consistent with subclinical hepatic encephalopathy by using the Trail Making Test in a cohort of patients with liver cirrhosis at hospital admission.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis were studied (mean age, 69.5 +/- 9.1; 95% confidence interval, 67.5-71.6 years). In all patients, possible encephalopathy was investigated according to the West Haven criteria. All those free of any sign of encephalopathy (West Haven 0) were also studied by the Trail Making Test forms A and B. The Child-Pugh score was determined in all patients, and results were compared with the West Haven stage. Exclusion criteria were use of benzodiazepine, beta adrenergic blockers, alcohol, or antiepileptic drugs, or coexistence of depression, dementia, Parkinson's disease, or chronic or acute cerebral vasculopathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 77 patients, 44 (57.1%, 23 men and 21 women) had West Haven score 0, but among these, 26 (59.1%) were diagnosed with mental impairment likely linked to minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Severity of liver disease correlated with the presence of likely minimal hepatic encephalopathy, because the prevalence of abnormal Trail Making Test results increased from 22.2% in Child-Pugh A, to 63.4% and 74.0% in Child-Pugh B and C, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The investigation of patients with cirrhosis by the West Haven test is not sufficient to identify subclinical forms of encephalopathy. The Trail Making Test (a simple, inexpensive test) in our series evidenced poor psychometric performance in more than half of the patients who were free of manifest encephalopathy. Subclinical hepatic encephalopathy was present mostly in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis. Detecting minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis may help improve their quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Hepatology Unit of General Medicine, "Mauro Scarlato" Hospital, Scafati Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Citro
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milan
authors.forename: Francesca Saveria
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Tripodi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gennari
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallotta
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Postiglione
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tarantino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014145:Trail Making Test