Brain Imaging in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease and Functional Impairment.

May 28, 2015 updated by: Imperial College London

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Brain in Patients With Chronic Hepatic Encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a frequent complication of chronic liver disease (cirrhosis) and involves a wide spectrum of problems from mild impairment of reaction times in driving and operating machinery through to disturbances in mood, behaviour and conscious levels.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a method of obtaining pictures of the inside of the body. Patients with liver disease have previously been studied with MRI which has highlighted changes in the brain. This research aims to highlight some of the differences in the way that the brain functions in patients with liver disease. Using our new, more powerful MRI scanner, with more sophisticated techniques we hope that the novel combination of MRI techniques can objectively detect the presence of , and monitor HE.

Study hypothesis: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a reversible, metabolic disturbance of the brain, associated with low grade brain swelling and disturbances of the chemical balance within the brain, resulting in functional impairment, the presence of which MR imaging can detect with sufficient sensitivity to monitor the changes that may occur over time in response to treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common neuropsychiatric abnormality, complicating the course of liver disease patients. In the UK, cirrhosis accounts for 4000 deaths per year, and 500,000 people are thought to be infected with chronic hepatitis C, of which up to 20% will develop cirrhosis over 20 years. The condition has been difficult to monitor objectively.

Despite the fact that the syndrome was probably first recognised two thousand years ago, the exact pathogenesis still remains unclear. It is thought to represent a reversible disturbance in brain chemistry and consequent brain swelling, in response to blood containing unfiltered gut-derived toxins entering the cerebral circulation. There is no recognised 'gold standard' test to diagnose and monitor this important, disabling condition. I have developed a novel combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences at 3 Tesla to study the effects of hepatic encephalopathy on the brain in patients with cirrhosis.

We propose to investigate alterations in brain size, function and chemistry before, and then at intervals after 4 weeks anti-encephalopathy treatment with L-ornithine L-aspartate. This will enable the assessment of both the baseline brain alterations of the cohort and the brain's response to therapy and correlation with their clinical response. As such this longitudinal study would allow us to define the sensitivity of the MR techniques.

Each of 50 patients will have blood tests, a 1 hour MRI brain scan and psychometric testing. The psychometric testing will be performed with both a computer-based battery and conventional paer-based tests. They will then be given L-ornithine L-aspartate (LOLA) to take orally for 4 weeks and have repeat blood tests, MRI and psychometric tests.

We will then determine if there is a correlation between the MR data and the results of the psychometric testing.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • London
      • Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom, W12 0HS
        • Imperial College London

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-65
  • Biopsy-proven cirrhosis
  • Clinically stable
  • Able to give informed consent
  • Fluent English (required for psychometric testing)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Ferro-magnetic implants
  • Claustrophobia
  • Weight >120kg
  • Significant renal impairment (Creatinine >150 micromol/L)
  • Poorly controlled Diabetes (particularly type I with microvascular complications)
  • Alcohol: if alcoholic liver disease is the aetiology of their liver disease they should be abstinent. Otherwise less than 20g per day.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
All enrolled patients will be given 4 weeks of treatment. Both MRI and functional changes will be observed.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Simon D Taylor-Robinson, MBBS, FRCP, Imperial College London & St Mary's Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

March 1, 2006

Primary Completion

December 7, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 21, 2006

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 21, 2006

First Posted (Estimate)

March 22, 2006

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

May 29, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 28, 2015

Last Verified

January 1, 2008

More Information

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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