Brain Changes in Alcohol Induced Liver Cirrhosis Patients: Insights from Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping

Background and Purpose: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with liver cirrhosis (LC) that often results in cognitive impairment. Minimal HE (mHE), a subtle form of the condition, significantly affects patients' quality of life. Advanced imaging techniques, such as quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), provide new insights into the brain changes associated with HE. Materials and Methods: The study included 28 patients (17 with mHE and 11 without) with alcohol-induced LC and 25 healthy controls. MR imaging, including QSM, was utilized to assess microstructural tissue changes and iron deposition in the brain. Cognitive function was assessed through a neuropsychological test battery. QSM quantified magnetic susceptibility in deep gray matter, while enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) were evaluated using T2-weighted images. Statistical analyses, including non-parametric tests and linear regression, assessed differences in susceptibility and their correlation with cognitive performance and EPVS. Results: Significant differences in cognitive performance and brain susceptibility were observed between patients and controls. Patients exhibited lower susceptibility in the caudate nucleus with the accumbens (CNA); mHE patients, in particular, had a significant reduction in CNA susceptibility. Additionally, EPVS grade correlated positively with cognitive decline, suggesting that EPVS may play an essential role in the pathophysiology of mHE. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that QSM can detect subtle brain changes in LC patients, with decreased susceptibility in the CN (caudate nucleus) linked to cognitive impairment in mHE. The role of EPVS in HE warrants further investigation, as it may affect the efficacy of current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. These findings highlight the potential of QSM to improve HE assessment.