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Differences in cognitive function between patients with viral and alcoholic compensated liver cirrhosis

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Abstract

As alcohol induces change in frontal cortex primarily involved in cognition, cognitive function may be different between viral and alcoholic liver cirrhosis (LC). This study aimed to determine the differences of cognitive function between viral and alcoholic compensated LC. From October 2011 to March 2013, 80 patients (viral: 37; alcohol: 43) with compensated LC were prospectively enrolled. Neuropsychological functions including attention, language, visuospatial, verbal memory, visual memory, and frontal/executive function were evaluated between two groups and compared with age-matched normal group (n = 1000). Cumulative incidence rate of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) was calculated. In the comparison with normal group, both two groups showed decreased memory function, frontal/executive function, and Korea-Mini Mental Status Examination. In the analysis of two groups, memory function by Verbal Learning Test (recognition: 20.1 ± 3.6 and 17.8 ± 4.8, p = 0.022), visuospatial function by Ray-Complex Figure Copy Test (recognition: 19.0 ± 2.6 and 17.3 ± 4.0, p = 0.043), frontal/executive function by Controlled Oral Ward Association (semantic: 17.1 ± 6.9 and 12.7 ± 6.9, p = 0.004), and the Korea-Mini Mental Status Examination (27.5 ± 1.9 and 26.2 ± 3.1, p = 0.03) showed low scores in alcoholic compensated LC patients. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year cumulative incidence rates of overt HE were 23 %, 26 %, and 26 % and 33 %, 43 %, and 49 % in the viral and alcoholic compensated LC group, respectively (p = 0.033). Impaired memory and frontal lobe executive functions and early development of overt HE were more common in patients with alcoholic LC. For patients with alcoholic LC, more integrated tests for early detection of minimal HE and intensive treatment should be considered to prevent overt HE.

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Acknowledgments

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest, including relevant financial interests, activities, relationships, affiliations, and any other conflict of interest as explicitly and implicitly expressed in the Editorial Policies for Authors. Ki Tae Suk and Hui Chul Choi were supported by Hallym University Specialization Fund (HRF-S-52).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, South Korea

    Yunhyeong Lee, Ki Tae Suk, Chang Seok Bang, Jai Hoon Yoon, Gwang Ho Baik & Dong Joon Kim

  2. Department of Neurology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, South Korea

    Chulho Kim, Hui Chul Choi, Min Uk Jang & Jong Hee Sohn

  3. Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Ki Tae Suk

  4. Department of Neurology, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Gyo-dong, 200-704, South Korea

    Hui Chul Choi

  5. Department in Internal Medicine, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon,, Gyo-dong, 200-704, South Korea

    Ki Tae Suk

Authors
  1. Yunhyeong Lee
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  2. Chulho Kim
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  3. Ki Tae Suk
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  7. Gwang Ho Baik
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  8. Dong Joon Kim
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  9. Min Uk Jang
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  10. Jong Hee Sohn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hui Chul Choi.

Ethics declarations

This study was funded by Hallym University Specialization Fund (HRF-S-52).

Compliance with ethical standards

Our data was obtained from “human participants”. The study protocols conform to the ethical guidelines of the 1975 declaration of Helsinki as reflected in a priori approval by the institutional review board for human research of all participating hospitals. Informed consent was given by the patient for the participation of this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study protocols conform to the ethical guidelines of the 1975 declaration of Helsinki as reflected in a priori approval by the institutional review board for human research of all participating hospitals. Informed consent was given by the patient for the participation of this study.

Additional information

Yunhyeong Lee, Chulho Kim, Ki Tae Suk, Hui Chul Choi contributed equally to the work.

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Lee, Y., Kim, C., Suk, K.T. et al. Differences in cognitive function between patients with viral and alcoholic compensated liver cirrhosis. Metab Brain Dis 31, 369–376 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-015-9761-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-015-9761-2

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