title: Neuropsychiatric performance in patients with cirrhosis: Who is "normal"?
abstract: In patients with cirrhosis a normal neuropsychiatric performance has been traditionally defined by the absence of any degree of hepatic encephalopathy and/or the absence of psychometric or neurophysiological abnormalities, compared with data from the healthy population. As the understanding and management of end-stage liver disease continues to change, it is our impression that the concept of normal neuropsychiatric performance also needs updating. This review explores novel and more pragmatic interpretations of neuropsychiatric "normality" compared with top personal performance, in terms of risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy or brain failure and in relation with events such as liver transplantation, decompensation, acute-on-chronic liver failure and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Electronic address: sara.montagnese@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montagnese
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Rui
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angeli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amodio
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Hepatic encephalopathy; Neurophysiology; Psychometry