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Correlation between a psychometric test and biochemical indices of hepatic encephalopathy in alcoholics
M Manganaro1, E M Zardi, M Ceccanti
1Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
Background/Aims:
In alcohol abusers an alteration of responses to psychometric tests has been reported, even when clinical symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are absent. Our research was intended to individualize a simple psychometric test, easy enough to be performed also at the patient's home, able to reveal an impending encephalopathy and, consequently, to facilitate earlier treatment.
Methodology:
Twenty-six consecutive male alcoholics were engaged and, after informed consent, the following schedule was applied: administration of a psychometric test, followed by a drawing of blood for the determination of many blood parameters. After 15 days of treatment to detoxicate patients, psychometric tests and blood examinations were repeated.
Results:
The results confirmed that common blood examinations are not useful to monitor brain damage in chronic alcoholism, that a psychometric test is able to demonstrate a therapeutic improvement and that a positive and significant correlation has been observed between BBCA/AAA ratio and WAIS Score.
Conclusions:
These preliminary results suggest that it is possible to suspect dangerous biochemical changes by means of a simple psychometric test.