To Evaluate Auditory Evoked Potentials in Non Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis Subjects Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction

There is a definite relationship between the brain and the liver that has been known and the patients with liver cirrhosis frequently experience neurological problems. The commonest and most widely recognized is the syndrome of Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE). HE is generally taken as that refer to a collection of neuropsychiatric, neuropsychological and neurological disturbances that may arise as a complication of liver cirrhosis and which is reversible. The present study was designed to evaluate the involvement of central nervous system in non alcoholic liver cirrhosis by using auditory evoked potentials to assess conduction in auditory pathway.

Materials and Method

20 non alcoholic liver cirrhotic subjects were selected and 10 age and gender matched healthy subjects with normal liver functions from the Master Health Check Up. AEP Recording was done in electrophysiology laboratory of Physiology using Neuro Perfect Plus Medicaid Polyrite.

Results

The parameter for the study was absolute wave latencies which was considered the important cortical wave latencies. Results were analysed by student's independent t-test using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 11.5 version. P value was calculated to test the statistical significance. The level of significance chosen for the study was 1% (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The finding of absolute wave latency prolongation in clinically non encephalopathic non alcoholic cirrhotic patients signify the presence of MHE. Therefore the ethanol induced demyelination thought to be the basic cause of AEPs is also over ruled. AEP is such a simple non invasive technique to be used as a prognostic marker and in follow up of even comatose patients. The emergence of MHE is significantly correlated with the severity of liver functions.