THE EFFECT OF FLUMAZENIL ON SUBCLINICAL PSYCHOMETRIC OR NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS IN CIRRHOTIC-PATIENTS - A DOUBLE-BLIND PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY

Citation
P. Amodio et al., THE EFFECT OF FLUMAZENIL ON SUBCLINICAL PSYCHOMETRIC OR NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS IN CIRRHOTIC-PATIENTS - A DOUBLE-BLIND PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY, Clinical physiology, 17(5), 1997, pp. 533-539
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
Physiology
Journal title
ISSN journal
01445979
Volume
17
Issue
5
Year of publication
1997
Pages
533 - 539
Database
ISI
SICI code
0144-5979(1997)17:5<533:TEOFOS>2.0.ZU;2-O
Abstract
It is not yet clear if benzodiazepine receptor ligands, implicated in the pathophysiology of hepatic coma, also have a role in subclinical c ognitive or neurophysiological alterations in cirrhotic patients. Ther efore, we carried out a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to eval uate the effectiveness of flumazenil, a benzodiazepine antagonist, on brainstem auditory evoked responses and on the number connection test in cirrhotic patients with subclinical neurophysiological or cognitive alterations. Thirteen cirrhotic subjects with subclinical neurophysio logical or cognitive alterations were studied. A total of 3 mg of flum azenil or saline was infused intravenously. Before and after the infus ion, the number connection test was administered and brainstem auditor y evoked responses recorded. After 72 h, patients were crossed over. F lumazenil did not influence brainstem auditory evoked responses or the number connection test. A screening test for benzodiazepines was nega tive in all subjects. We conclude that benzodiazepine receptor ligands have a negligible role, if any, in the pathophysiology of subclinical neurophysiological or cognitive alterations of cirrhotic patients.