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Hepatic Encephalopathy is Associated With Slow Speech on Objective Assessment
Patricia P Bloom1, Jessica Robin2, Mengdan Xu2
1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|September 1, 2021
Summary
Diagnosing hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is challenging. This study found that speech patterns, including speech rate and word duration, can serve as potential biomarkers for HE in patients with cirrhosis.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) lacks simple diagnostic tools.
- Current methods for diagnosing and grading HE are burdensome.
- There is a need for point-of-care tests for HE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate speech as a potential biomarker for HE.
- To correlate speech features with HE severity.
- To explore low-burden diagnostic methods for HE.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated speech patterns in 76 adults with cirrhosis.
- Analyzed speech rate, word duration, and particle usage.
- Correlated speech features with neuropsychiatric scores.
Main Results:
- Slower speech rate (22-23 words/min) correlated with lower neuropsychiatric scores and HE history.
- Longer word duration (0.09 sec/word) was associated with HE.
- Reduced particle usage (0.85%) linked to HE severity.
Conclusions:
- Speech features like rate and duration are potential biomarkers for HE.
- Speech analysis offers a low-burden approach to assess HE.
- Speech biomarkers could aid in diagnosing and grading HE.
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