Cirrhosis of the liver may lead to deterioration in mental performance similar to that seen in Alzheimer’s disease,  according to a new study from researchers at Loyola University. Team leader Dr Christopher Randolph has devised a battery of neuropsychological tests called the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS™) which is a paper and pencil test taking 20 to 25 minutes to complete. It tests memory, attention, language and visuo-spatial functioning. The patient will do tasks like identifying line drawings of common objects, repeating lists of numbers, copying geometrical figures and recalling a story. The general population would get an average score of around 100 on RBANS.

Randolph’s team carried out the RBANS test on a group of 301 patients with liver disease and found that 54% of them scored in the 10^th lowest percentile. The average RBANS score for those patients with cirrhosis of the liver who had cognitive problems was 74, which is lower than you would expect for people who have Alzheimer’s disease.

Cognitive impairment in people with cirrhosis of the liver is already well recognized and is called hepatic encephalopathy. It occurs because the damaged liver can’t remove toxins like ammonia from the body. Hepatic encephalopathy in those with cirrhosis of the liver may severely impact their ability to carry out everyday tasks such as work, driving or managing money. ‘Neurocognitive impairment is a major issue in patients with liver disease,’ Randolph says. Fortunately, there is some hope because this study is part of a larger study aimed at finding out whether an experimental drug can help patients with cirrhosis of the liver by removing ammonia and other toxins from the body. If it works, then those who have cirrhosis of the liver, for whatever reason, may be able to have a better quality of life.

Source:

Randolph C et al Digestive Disease Week May 3^rd  2010