Animal Naming Test - a simple and accurate test for diagnosis of minimal hepatic encephalopathy and prediction of overt hepatic encephalopathy

'Effects of a home-based bimodal lifestyle intervention in frail patients with end-stage liver disease awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation': study protocol of a non-randomised clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Patients with end-stage liver disease awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) are generally classified as frail due to disease-related malnutrition and a progressive decline in musculoskeletal and aerobic fitness, which is associated with poor pre-OLT, peri-OLT and post-OLT outcomes. However, frailty in these patients may be reversable with adequate exercise and nutritional interventions.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Non-randomised clinical trial evaluating the effect of a home-based bimodal lifestyle programme in unfit patients with a preoperative oxygen uptake (VO2) at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold ≤13 mL/kg/min and/or VO2 at peak exercise ≤18 mL/kg/min listed for OLT at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). The programme is patient tailored and comprises high-intensity interval and endurance training, and functional exercises three times per week, combined with nutritional support. Patients will go through two training periods, each lasting 6 weeks.The primary outcome of this study is the impact of the programme on patients' aerobic fitness after the first study period. Secondary outcomes include aerobic capacity after the second study period, changes in sarcopenia, anthropometry, functional mobility, perceived quality of life and fatigue, incidence of hepatic encephalopathy and microbiome composition. Moreover, number and reasons of intercurrent hospitalisations during the study and postoperative outcomes up to 12 months post OLT will be recorded. Finally, feasibility of the programme will be assessed by monitoring the participation rate and reasons for non-participation, number and severity of adverse events, and dropout rate and reasons for dropout.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of the UMCG (registration number NL83612.042.23, August 2023) and is registered in the Clinicaltrials.gov register (NCT05853484). Good Clinical Practice guidelines and the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki will be applied. Results of this study will be submitted for presentation at (inter)national congresses and publication in peer-reviewed journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05853484.

Animal naming test is a simple and valid tool for detecting covert hepatic encephalopathy and predicting outcomes in Chinese-speaking regions: a preliminary study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) implies high morbidity and mortality. The assessment of covert HE (CHE) [i.e. minimal HE (MHE) plus grade 1 HE] is often neglected in Taiwan. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the potential of the animal naming test (ANT1 and simplified ANT1 (S-ANT1)) for assessing CHE in Chinese-speaking regions, specifically Taiwan.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted, comprising 65 cirrhotic patients and 29 healthy controls (relatives of the patients). Patients were followed up every three months and censored after two years or until death. Hospitalization for overt HE (OHE) and mortality were considered. All subjects underwent ANT1, psychometric HE score (PHES), and mini-mental state examination (MMSE). The patients underwent an electroencephalogram (EEG) to detect slowing indicative of MHE. Cut-off values for ANT1 and S-ANT1 were assessed by ROC analysis and Youden's index, considering CHE as a reference. The prognostic values for OHE and OHE-free survival were assessed.

RESULTS

Preliminary analysis confirmed that PHES ≤-4 is a good discriminant point for abnormal results. CHE was found in 29 patients: 9 had MHE (PHES ≤ -4 or altered EEG) and 20 had grade 1 HE. ANT1 and S-ANT1 were found to have diagnostic values for CHE: AUC = 0.807, 0.786; cut off: 18 and 19, respectively. ANT1 and S-ANT1 were found to have prognostic value for OHE, number of hospitalization episodes for OHE, and OHE recurrence-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

ANT1 shows promise as a tool for CHE detection, quantification, and follow-up in Taiwan and other Chinese-speaking regions.Key messagesThe animal naming test (ANT1) is a simple and valid semantic fluency test that can be easily performed in outpatient or bedside settings in one minute and can also be used as a tool for covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) detection, quantification, and follow-up in Taiwan, other Chinese-speaking regions, and many other countries.The diagnostic value of ANT1 and S-ANT1 for CHE were found to be significant, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values of 0.807 and 0.786 respectively, and cut-off scores of 18 and 19.ANT1 and S-ANT1 have prognostic value for the first breakthrough of overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE), number of hospitalization episodes for OHE, and OHE recurrence-free survival, independent of the MELD score.

Cognitive function, self-management, and outcomes among liver transplant recipients: LivCog, a multicenter, prospective study

Liver transplantation is a life-saving option for decompensated cirrhosis. Liver transplant recipients require advanced self-management skills, intact cognitive skills, and care partner support to improve long-term outcomes. Gaps remain in understanding post-liver transplant cognitive and health trajectories, and patient factors such as self-management skills, care partner support, and sleep. Our aims are to (1) assess pre-liver transplant to post-liver transplant cognitive trajectories and identify risk factors for persistent cognitive impairment; (2) evaluate associations between cognitive function and self-management skills, health behaviors, functional health status, and post-transplant outcomes; and (3) investigate potential mediators and moderators of associations between cognitive function and post-liver transplant outcomes. LivCog is a longitudinal, prospective observational study that will enroll 450 adult liver transplant recipients and their caregivers/care partners. The duration of the study is 5 years with 24 additional months of patient follow-up. Data will be collected from participants at 1, 3, 12, and 24 months post-transplant. Limited pre-liver transplant data will also be collected from waitlisted candidates. Data collection methods include interviews, surveys, cognitive assessments, and actigraphy/sleep diary measures. Patient measurements include sociodemographic characteristics, pretransplant health status, cognitive function, physical function, perioperative measures, medical history, transplant history, self-management skills, patient-reported outcomes, health behaviors, and clinical outcomes. Caregiver measures assess sociodemographic variables, health literacy, health care navigation skills, self-efficacy, care partner preparedness, nature and intensity of care, care partner burden, and community participation. By elucidating various health trajectories from pre-liver transplant to 2 years post-liver transplant, LivCog will be able to better characterize recipients at higher risk of cognitive impairment and compromised self-management. Findings will inform interventions targeting health behaviors, self-management, and caregiver supports to optimize outcomes.

Patient randomised controlled trial of technology enabled strategies to promote treatment adherence in liver transplantation: rationale and design of the TEST trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Liver transplantation is a life-saving procedure for end-stage liver disease. However, post-transplant medication regimens are complex and non-adherence is common. Post-transplant medication non-adherence is associated with graft rejection, which can have long-term adverse consequences. Transplant centres are equipped with clinical staff that monitor patients post-transplant; however, digital health tools and proactive immunosuppression adherence monitoring has potential to improve outcomes.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a patient-randomised prospective clinical trial at three transplant centres in the Northeast, Midwest and South to investigate the effects of a remotely administered adherence programme compared with usual care. The programme monitors potential non-adherence largely levering text message prompts and phenotypes the nature of the non-adhere as cognitive, psychological, medical, social or economic. Additional reminders for medications, clinical appointments and routine self-management support are incorporated to promote adherence to the entire medical regimen. The primary study outcome is medication adherence via 24-hour recall; secondary outcomes include additional medication adherence (ASK-12 self-reported scale, regimen knowledge scales, tacrolimus values), quality of life, functional health status and clinical outcomes (eg, days hospitalised). Study implementation, acceptability, feasibility, costs and potential cost-effectiveness will also be evaluated.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The University of Pennsylvania Review Board has approved the study as the single IRB of record (protocol # 849575, V.1.4). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and summaries will be provided to study funders.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05260268.

Prediction and prevention of the first episode of overt hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the most important complications of patients with liver cirrhosis. In addition, HE is associated with a dismal prognosis and has detrimental effects on patients' quality of life. Thus, it is of pivotal importance to identify patients at high risk for overt HE (OHE) in whom primary prophylaxis may be justified. In this narrative review, we aim to provide insight into predictors and prediction tools for a first-time episode of OHE and to scrutinize the current level of evidence of primary prophylaxis. In recent decades, several cognitive tests, composite scores, and blood-based biomarkers have been demonstrated to be predictive of a first-time episode of OHE. Among the best validated are the established tests for minimal HE, such as the Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score, determination of the critical flicker frequency, Stroop EncephalApp, or the Animal Naming Test. Individualized risk stratification using blood-based biomarkers and cross-sectional imaging (sarcopenia and spontaneous portosystemic shunts) is coming to the fore, but validation in larger multicenter cohorts is often lacking. On the basis of current evidence, a recommendation for primary prophylaxis of a first episode of OHE cannot be made in general. Only 2 studies have investigated the prevention of a first-time OHE episode as the primary endpoint. In this narrative review, we provide a concise overview of the current evidence levels on prediction tools and pharmacological prevention of a first episode of OHE. In addition, we give an outlook on future research targets to improve knowledge on this important topic.

Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score for the Diagnosis of Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy in Thai Cirrhotic Patients

The psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) is the gold standard for diagnosing minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). Screening for MHE is frequently overlooked in clinical practice due to time constraints. Furthermore, the simplified animal naming test (S-ANT1) is a new simple tool for evaluating MHE in cirrhotic patients. The purpose of this study was to standardize the PHES in a healthy Thai population, assess the prevalence of MHE, and validate the S-ANT1 in detecting MHE in patients with cirrhosis. The study included 194 healthy controls and 203 cirrhotic patients without overt HE. Psychometric tests and the S-ANT1 were administered to all participants. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze factors related to PHES results, and formulas were developed to predict the results for each PHES subtest. In healthy controls, age and education were predictors of all five subtests. The PHES of the control group was −0.26 ± 2.28 points, and the threshold for detecting MHE was set at ≤ −5 points. The cirrhotic group had PHES values of −2.6 ± 3.1 points. Moreover, MHE was found to be present in 26.6% of cirrhotic patients. S-ANT1 had a moderate positive correlation with PHES (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). S-ANT1 < 22 named animals detected MHE with a sensitivity of 71.2%, specificity of 65%, and area under the receiver operating curve of 0.68 (p < 0.001). In conclusion, Thai PHES normative data have been developed to detect MHE in cirrhotic patients who do not have overt HE. The optimal cutoff for detecting MHE in Thai cirrhotic patients was PHES ≤ −5 points and S-ANT1 < 22 named.

Psychometric methods for diagnosing and monitoring minimal hepatic encephalopathy -current validation level and practical use

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is cerebral dysfunction caused by liver failure and inflicts 30-40% of patients with liver cirrhosis during their disease course. Clinically manifest HE is often preceded by minimal HE (MHE) - a clinically undetectable cognitive disturbance closely associated with loss of quality of life. Accordingly, detecting and treating MHE improve the patients' daily functioning and prevent HE-related hospital admissions. The scope of this review article is to create an overview of the validation level and usage of psychometric tests used to detect MHE: Portosystemic hepatic encephalopathy test, continuous reaction time test, Stroop EncephalApp, animal naming test, critical flicker frequency test, and inhibitory control test. Our work is aimed at the clinician or scientist who is about to decide on which psychometric test would fit best in their clinic, cohort, or study. First, we outline psychometric test validation obstacles and requirements. Then, we systematically approach the literature on each test and select well-conducted studies to answer the following questions:• Which percentage of patients with cirrhosis does the test deem as having MHE?• Is the test able to predict clinically manifest HE?• Is there a well-known test-retest variation and inter-observer variation?• Is the test able to detect a treatment response?• Is the test result affected by age, educational level, gender, or comorbidities?