BACKGROUND/AIMS: In alcohol abusers an alteration of responses to psychometric tests has been reported, even when clinical symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are absent. Our research was intended to individualize a simple psychometric test, easy enough to be performed also at the patient's home, able to reveal an impending encephalopathy and, consequently, to facilitate earlier treatment. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-six consecutive male alcoholics were engaged and, after informed consent, the following schedule was applied: administration of a psychometric test, followed by a drawing of blood for the determination of many blood parameters. After 15 days of treatment to detoxicate patients, psychometric tests and blood examinations were repeated. RESULTS: The results confirmed that common blood examinations are not useful to monitor brain damage in chronic alcoholism, that a psychometric test is able to demonstrate a therapeutic improvement and that a positive and significant correlation has been observed between BBCA/AAA ratio and WAIS Score. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest that it is possible to suspect dangerous biochemical changes by means of a simple psychometric test.

CORRELATION BETWEEN A PSYCHOMETRIC TEST AND BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN ALCOHOLICS / Manganaro, Mario; Zardi, Em; Ceccanti, Mauro; Spada, Sebastiano; Romeo, Marina; Pancheri, Paolo; Biondi, Massimo; Paga, G.. - In: HEPATO-GASTROENTEROLOGY. - ISSN 0172-6390. - STAMPA. - 46:(1999), pp. 1-7.

CORRELATION BETWEEN A PSYCHOMETRIC TEST AND BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN ALCOHOLICS

MANGANARO, Mario;CECCANTI, Mauro;SPADA, Sebastiano;ROMEO, Marina;PANCHERI, Paolo;BIONDI, Massimo;
1999

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In alcohol abusers an alteration of responses to psychometric tests has been reported, even when clinical symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are absent. Our research was intended to individualize a simple psychometric test, easy enough to be performed also at the patient's home, able to reveal an impending encephalopathy and, consequently, to facilitate earlier treatment. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-six consecutive male alcoholics were engaged and, after informed consent, the following schedule was applied: administration of a psychometric test, followed by a drawing of blood for the determination of many blood parameters. After 15 days of treatment to detoxicate patients, psychometric tests and blood examinations were repeated. RESULTS: The results confirmed that common blood examinations are not useful to monitor brain damage in chronic alcoholism, that a psychometric test is able to demonstrate a therapeutic improvement and that a positive and significant correlation has been observed between BBCA/AAA ratio and WAIS Score. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest that it is possible to suspect dangerous biochemical changes by means of a simple psychometric test.
1999
hepatic encephalopathy; psychometric test; biochemical indices; alcoholics
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
CORRELATION BETWEEN A PSYCHOMETRIC TEST AND BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN ALCOHOLICS / Manganaro, Mario; Zardi, Em; Ceccanti, Mauro; Spada, Sebastiano; Romeo, Marina; Pancheri, Paolo; Biondi, Massimo; Paga, G.. - In: HEPATO-GASTROENTEROLOGY. - ISSN 0172-6390. - STAMPA. - 46:(1999), pp. 1-7.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/87734
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