- 期刊
Application of the "Mini-Mental State" Test in the Assessment of Mental State in Hepatic Encephalopathy
應用“迷你心智狀態”測驗對肝昏迷病患心智狀態的評估
摘要
Mini-mental state tests and number connection tests were given to 37 cirrhotic patients with overt or just recovered from overt hepatic encephalopathy. Twenty-four age-matched healthy persons also received these tests. Neither of these two tests were suitable for patients with severe forms of hepatic encephalopathy (grades III and IV). Only one of14 patients in the milder forms (grades I and II) could complete the number connection test within 180 seconds. The scores of the mini-mental state test of patients with grade I and grade II hepatic encephalopathy were significantly different (P＜0.005). For patients with grade 0, the mean score of the mini-mental state test was not different from that of the control group, however, the time required to complete the number connection test by these two groups was significantly different (P＜0.005). Twenty-one patients received serial assessment by these two tests during hospitalization; the results show that the mini-mental state test can provide good indications of improvement or deterioration in grades I and II of hepatic encephalopathy. We may conclude that the mini-mental state test is suitable for evaluation of the milder forms of overt hepatic encephalopathy but not for the detection of subclinical cases. These two tests may be used complementally in monitoring the course of hepatic encephalopathy and the effect of therapy.
並列摘要
Mini-mental state tests and number connection tests were given to 37 cirrhotic patients with overt or just recovered from overt hepatic encephalopathy. Twenty-four age-matched healthy persons also received these tests. Neither of these two tests were suitable for patients with severe forms of hepatic encephalopathy (grades III and IV). Only one of14 patients in the milder forms (grades I and II) could complete the number connection test within 180 seconds. The scores of the mini-mental state test of patients with grade I and grade II hepatic encephalopathy were significantly different (P＜0.005). For patients with grade 0, the mean score of the mini-mental state test was not different from that of the control group, however, the time required to complete the number connection test by these two groups was significantly different (P＜0.005). Twenty-one patients received serial assessment by these two tests during hospitalization; the results show that the mini-mental state test can provide good indications of improvement or deterioration in grades I and II of hepatic encephalopathy. We may conclude that the mini-mental state test is suitable for evaluation of the milder forms of overt hepatic encephalopathy but not for the detection of subclinical cases. These two tests may be used complementally in monitoring the course of hepatic encephalopathy and the effect of therapy.