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Updated: Sep 20, 2026

Assessment of Memory Function in Pilocarpine-induced Epileptic Mice
Published on: June 4, 2020
Memory function in early hepatic encephalopathy
Karin Weissenborn1, Susanne Heidenreich, Kathrin Giewekemeyer
1Neurologische Klinik, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, 30623 Hannover, Germany. weissenborn.karin@mh-hannover.de
Background:
Early hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is characterized by deficits in motor performance, visual perception, visuo-constructive abilities and attention. Whether defective memory is a feature of early HE is controversial.
Aims:
To analyze memory function in patients with early HE.
Methods:
Memory tests were applied to cirrhotic patients with grade 0 HE, minimal HE and grade I HE (n=45) and controls (n=52). The battery included short and long term memory tests requiring free recall or recognition. Minimal HE was diagnosed by assessing the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score using the PSE-Syndrom-Test and by carrying out a neurological examination. Group differences of the test results were analyzed using analysis of covariance.
Results:
HE 0 patients achieved test results similar to the controls in all but two tests. Patients with early HE (minimal and grade I HE) scored lower than the controls in all tests applied. A detailed analysis of test performance showed that the patients' deficits were in attention and visual perception, rather than memory.
Conclusions:
Patients with early HE score lower than controls in memory tasks predominantly because of deficits in attention and visual perception.
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