COGNITIVE EVENT-RELATED POTENTIAL IN HEPATIC-ENCEPHALOPATHY

A study of auditory P300 was performed on 24 patients with cirrhosis o f the liver: 13 patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE grade 1-2) an d 11 patients without clinical encephalopathy (HE grade 0). The patien ts were also assessed using spontaneous EEG and neuropsychological met hods: Mini Mental State, Digit Span and Number Connection Test. The P3 latency was found to be significantly increased in all patients (100% ) with HE grade 1-2 and in 6 patients (54.5%) with HE grade 0. The cli nical value of using the P300 latency in the hepatic encephalopathy is subsequently discussed.