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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Digital Handwriting Analysis of Characters in Chinese Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: March 11, 2021
Previous hepatitis a virus infection is related to slower psychomotor speed in elderly adults
Cheng-Fang Hsieh1, Ching-Kuan Liu, Tzu-Jung Fang
1Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.
Background:
Patients with chronic viral hepatitis are at a higher risk for cognitive dysfunction. Little is known about the association between hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection and cognitive function.
Methods:
From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002, we selected study participants (> or =60 years, n = 1,529) without hepatitis B, C, or D virus infection; without previous hepatitis A vaccination; and without abnormal liver function. HAV-seropositive participants represented people with previous HAV infection. Psychomotor speed and executive functioning domain of cognitive function were measured by the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST).
Results:
HAV-seropositive participants had lower DSST scores than HAV-seronegative participants (weighted mean, 44.4 vs 53.9, p < .001). We designated HAV-seronegative participants as the reference group. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the weighted beta coefficient of DSST score was -9.55 (95% confidence interval [CI] -9.57 to -9.54, p < .001) for the HAV-seropositive participants. In a multivariable model, the weighted adjusted beta coefficient of DSST score was -2.48 (95% CI -2.49 to -2.46, p < .001) for the HAV-seropositive participants.
Conclusion:
HAV seropositivity is associated with slower psychomotor speed among the U.S. community-dwelling elders.
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