Assessment and usefulness of clinical scales for semiquantification of overt hepatic encephalopathy

Maiko Sakamoto; William Perry; Robin C Hilsabeck; Fatma Barakat; Tarek Hassanein

doi:10.1016/j.cld.2011.12.005

Assessment and usefulness of clinical scales for semiquantification of overt hepatic encephalopathy

Clin Liver Dis. 2012 Feb;16(1):27-42. doi: 10.1016/j.cld.2011.12.005.

Authors

Maiko Sakamoto¹, William Perry, Robin C Hilsabeck, Fatma Barakat, Tarek Hassanein

Affiliation

¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 220 Dickinson Street, Suite B (MC: 8231), San Diego, CA 92103, USA.

PMID: 22321463
DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2011.12.005

Abstract

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) represents the effects of liver dysfunction on the brain. When HE is clinically obvious (eg, confusion, poor judgment, personality change), it is termed overt HE. The severity of HE is measured by different methods. Assessing the severity of HE is important for determining patient prognosis and effectiveness of therapy. This article discusses the different methods for grading HE, including clinical rating scales, neuropsychological tests, and neurophysiologic measures.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Hepatic Encephalopathy / classification
Hepatic Encephalopathy / diagnosis*
Hepatic Encephalopathy / pathology
Hepatic Encephalopathy / psychology
Humans
Neuropsychological Tests