Conclusion Oral zinc supplementation improved performance on the number connection test , but no evidence about other clinical or biochemical outcomes was available
Background and aim Because low serum zinc levels precipitate hepatic encephalopathy , zinc supplementation is considered a potential therapeutic option .
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of oral zinc supplementation in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy .
Subclinical hepatic encephalopathy: proton MR spectroscopic abnormalities.
PURPOSE To determine whether hydrogen-1 magnetic resonance ( MR ) spectroscopy of the brain allows detection of sub clinical hepatic encephalopathy ( SCHE ) .  MATERIAL S AND METHODS In a double-blind study , overt hepatic encephalopathy ( HE ) and SCHE ( defined with clinical and neuropsychiatric tests ) were compared by means of H-1 MR spectroscopic criteria --reduction in cerebral myo-inositol ( < 2 st and ard deviations [ SDs ] from normal ) and choline ( < 2 SDs from normal ) with or without increased cerebral glutamine ( > 1 SD from normal)--in 20 patients with cirrhosis . RESULTS Concordance between MR spectroscopic and neuropsychiatric test results was 94 % ( kappa = 0.84 ) . MR spectroscopy allowed diagnosis of SCHE in nine of nine patients ( 100 % ) and of HE in seven of eight ( 88 % ) . Myo-inositol depletion alone had 80%-85 % sensitivity for detection of HE and SCHE . CONCLUSION H-1 MR spectroscopy allows accurate diagnosis of SCHE , and the results suggest an important role for myo-inositol in psychomotor and visuopractic functions
Conclusion Oral zinc supplementation improved performance on the number connection test , but no evidence about other clinical or biochemical outcomes was available
Background and aim Because low serum zinc levels precipitate hepatic encephalopathy , zinc supplementation is considered a potential therapeutic option .
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of oral zinc supplementation in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy .