A Prospective Cohort Study on the Epidemiological Investigation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy
14 de julho de 2026 atualizado por: Chuanlong Zhu, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University
Purpose Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a serious complication of liver cirrhosis that can cause memory loss, slow reaction, and even coma. In China, large-scale epidemiological data on HE are lacking, early diagnosis remains difficult, and treatment needs improvement. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of HE in Chinese liver disease patients and to explore better diagnostic methods and treatment strategies.
Design This is a prospective, multicenter cohort study led by Jiangsu Province Hospital, in collaboration with 7 other hospitals in Jiangsu Province. Between April 2026 and December 2029, the study plans to enroll over 700 patients with liver cirrhosis and 120 healthy volunteers.
What participants will do Participants will use a WeChat mini-program to perform simple cognitive tests (e.g., reaction speed, attention) regularly. They will be followed up at month 1, 3, 6 after enrollment, and then every six months. The research team will collect routine laboratory results, medication records, and quality-of-life data.
Benefits and risks Participants will receive closer health monitoring, which may help detect changes early. The study involves no additional drugs or invasive procedures, so risks are very low. All personal information will be kept strictly confidential and used only for medical research.
Voluntary participation Participation is completely voluntary, and participants can withdraw at any time without affecting their routine medical care.
Visão geral do estudo
Status
Ainda não está recrutando
Intervenção / Tratamento
Descrição detalhada
Hepatic encephalopathy is a common and serious complication of liver cirrhosis, which greatly affects the quality of life and survival prognosis of patients and imposes a heavy burden on the medical and health system.
Among patients with liver cirrhosis, the prevalence of overt hepatic encephalopathy is 10-14%, rising to 16-21% in decompensated liver cirrhosis patients, and reaching 10-50% in those who have undergone transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).
The prevalence of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (mHE) ranges from 20% to 80%.
Currently, the diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy still relies on exclusion, and the first-line treatments are lactulose and rifaximin.
In summary, there are many patients with hepatic encephalopathy, diagnosis is difficult, and the treatment effect is also limited.
Studying the specific conditions of Chinese patients, improving diagnostic methods, and exploring more precise treatment plans are of great significance for improving the quality of life of patients and reducing the medical burden.
Tipo de estudo
Observacional
Inscrição (Estimado)
700
Contactos e Locais
Esta seção fornece os detalhes de contato para aqueles que conduzem o estudo e informações sobre onde este estudo está sendo realizado.
Contato de estudo
- Nome: Chuanlong Zhu
- Número de telefone: +8617714316539
- E-mail: zhuchuanlong@jsph.org.cn
Locais de estudo
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Jiangsu
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Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Hospital
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Contato:
- Chuanlong Zhu
- Número de telefone: +8617714316539
- E-mail: zhuchuanlong@jsph.org.cn
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Critérios de participação
Os pesquisadores procuram pessoas que se encaixem em uma determinada descrição, chamada de critérios de elegibilidade. Alguns exemplos desses critérios são a condição geral de saúde de uma pessoa ou tratamentos anteriores.
Critérios de elegibilidade
Idades elegíveis para estudo
- Adulto
- Adulto mais velho
Aceita Voluntários Saudáveis
Sim
Método de amostragem
Amostra Não Probabilística
População do estudo
People with liver cirrhosis are diagnosed by doctors through imaging, elastography, biopsy or clinical symptoms.
Descrição
Inclusion Criteria:
- For patients with liver cirrhosis and the general healthy population, the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis is made by doctors based on imaging, elastography, biopsy or clinical symptoms.
- The patients themselves and their accompanying family members have smart phones, are proficient in using WeChat and mini-programs, and have a stable network environment.
- They voluntarily sign the informed consent form, have good compliance, and fully understand this study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age < 18 years old;
- Women planning to get pregnant, already pregnant or during lactation;
- Incomplete relevant data information required;
- Unable to proficiently use WeChat mini-program or unstable network environment;
- Red-green color blindness or other irreparable visual impairments;
- Heart, lung, or kidney failure or unstable vital signs;
- Unwilling to participate in the study or unable to sign the informed consent form;
- Any other situation that may interfere with the study assessment, increase the risk for the subjects, or affect their completion of the study, as judged by the researcher and deemed unsuitable for participating in this study;
- Have participated in or are currently participating in other clinical trials within the past 3 months;
Plano de estudo
Esta seção fornece detalhes do plano de estudo, incluindo como o estudo é projetado e o que o estudo está medindo.
Como o estudo é projetado?
Detalhes do projeto
Coortes e Intervenções
Grupo / Coorte |
Intervenção / Tratamento |
|---|---|
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non-CHE
Patients who did not develop covert hepatic encephalopathy during the follow-up period
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use a WeChat mini-program to perform simple cognitive tests (e.g., reaction speed, attention) regularly
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CHE
Patients who develop covert hepatic encephalopathy during the follow-up period
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use a WeChat mini-program to perform simple cognitive tests (e.g., reaction speed, attention) regularly
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liver cirrhosis with sarcopenia
Patients who develop sarcopenia during the follow-up period
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liver cirrhosis without sarcopenia
Patients who did not develop sarcopenia during the follow-up period
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liver cirrhosis with decline in quality of life
During the follow-up period, there was a decline in quality of life.
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liver cirrhosis without decline in quality of life
During the follow-up period, there was not a decline in quality of life.
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O que o estudo está medindo?
Medidas de resultados primários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
|---|---|---|
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covert hepatic encephalopathy
Prazo: from the time of enrollment until the end of the 2-year follow-up period
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Patients classified as level 0-1 according to the West Haven classification.
The West Haven classification system for hepatic encephalopathy, formally titled the West Haven Classification for Hepatic Encephalopathy, is a semi-quantitative grading system widely used in clinical practice and research to assess the severity of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis.
The evaluation is based on a comprehensive clinical assessment of four domains: level of consciousness, intellectual and behavioural function (including orientation, personality, mood, and attention), neuromuscular function (including asterixis, tendon reflexes, and ataxia), and ability to perform activities of daily living.
Using these criteria, hepatic encephalopathy is classified into grades ranging from a minimum of Grade 0 to a maximum of Grade 4.
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from the time of enrollment until the end of the 2-year follow-up period
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Medidas de resultados secundários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
|---|---|---|
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Sarcopenia
Prazo: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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Sarcopenia refers to the loss of muscle mass.
The definition is based on the L3-SMI.
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From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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decline in quality of life
Prazo: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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Evaluated through the SF-36(36-Item Short-Form Health Survey) scale.
The SF-36 assesses nine health dimensions.
For every dimension (after standard transformation), the minimum possible score is 0 and the maximum possible score is 100.
A higher score always indicates a better health outcome or better quality of life.
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From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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Outras medidas de resultado
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
|---|---|---|
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DEATH
Prazo: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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The patient died.
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From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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liver transplantation
Prazo: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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TIPS
Prazo: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 years
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Colaboradores e Investigadores
É aqui que você encontrará pessoas e organizações envolvidas com este estudo.
Publicações e links úteis
A pessoa responsável por inserir informações sobre o estudo fornece voluntariamente essas publicações. Estes podem ser sobre qualquer coisa relacionada ao estudo.
Publicações Gerais
- Allampati S, Duarte-Rojo A, Thacker LR, Patidar KR, White MB, Klair JS, John B, Heuman DM, Wade JB, Flud C, O'Shea R, Gavis EA, Unser AB, Bajaj JS. Diagnosis of Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy Using Stroop EncephalApp: A Multicenter US-Based, Norm-Based Study. Am J Gastroenterol. 2016 Jan;111(1):78-86. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2015.377. Epub 2015 Dec 8.
- Ehrenbauer AF, Egge JFM, Gabriel MM, Tiede A, Dirks M, Witt J, Wedemeyer H, Maasoumy B, Weissenborn K. Comparison of 6 tests for diagnosing minimal hepatic encephalopathy and predicting clinical outcome: A prospective, observational study. Hepatology. 2024 Aug 1;80(2):389-402. doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000000770. Epub 2024 Feb 13.
- Li X, Liu S, Guo Y, Zu H, Xiang H, Yang S, Zhang X, Meng F, Bianba Y, Li J, Liu F, Lei C, Lv J, Yang QH, Fu W, Ye W, Chen J, Gao Y, Wu C, Wang N, Zheng Q, Wang F, Yu J, Wang J, Yang X, Wang X, Liu Y, Zhao X, Wu C, Gou W, Bajaj JS, Wang FS, Fu J, Qi X. Detection of minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis based on the Stroop-CN model (NCRCID-CHESS 2106): a prospective multicenter study. MedComm (2020). 2024 Jul 15;5(8):e627. doi: 10.1002/mco2.627. eCollection 2024 Aug.
- Wang J, Deng MJ, Shi PM, Peng Y, Wang XH, Tan W, Wang PQ, Chen YX, Yuan ZL, Ning BF, Xie WF, Yin C. Covert hepatic encephalopathy is associated with aggressive disease progression and poor survival in patients with cirrhosis. J Dig Dis. 2023 Dec;24(12):681-690. doi: 10.1111/1751-2980.13246.
- Tapper EB, Henderson JB, Parikh ND, Ioannou GN, Lok AS. Incidence of and Risk Factors for Hepatic Encephalopathy in a Population-Based Cohort of Americans With Cirrhosis. Hepatol Commun. 2019 Sep 6;3(11):1510-1519. doi: 10.1002/hep4.1425. eCollection 2019 Nov.
- Lai JC, Tandon P, Bernal W, Tapper EB, Ekong U, Dasarathy S, Carey EJ. Malnutrition, Frailty, and Sarcopenia in Patients With Cirrhosis: 2021 Practice Guidance by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Hepatology. 2021 Sep;74(3):1611-1644. doi: 10.1002/hep.32049. No abstract available.
- Bajaj JS, Jakab SS, Jesudian AB, Rahimi RS, Duarte-Rojo A, Chen PH, Wong RJ, Tapper EB, Tandon P. ACG Clinical Guideline: Hepatic Encephalopathy. Am J Gastroenterol. 2026 Mar 1;121(3):588-618. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000003899. Epub 2026 Mar 3.
Datas de registro do estudo
Essas datas acompanham o progresso do registro do estudo e os envios de resumo dos resultados para ClinicalTrials.gov. Os registros do estudo e os resultados relatados são revisados pela National Library of Medicine (NLM) para garantir que atendam aos padrões específicos de controle de qualidade antes de serem publicados no site público.
Datas Principais do Estudo
Início do estudo (Estimado)
1 de agosto de 2026
Conclusão Primária (Estimado)
31 de janeiro de 2028
Conclusão do estudo (Estimado)
31 de março de 2028
Datas de inscrição no estudo
Enviado pela primeira vez
16 de maio de 2026
Enviado pela primeira vez que atendeu aos critérios de CQ
24 de maio de 2026
Primeira postagem (Real)
29 de maio de 2026
Atualizações de registro de estudo
Última Atualização Postada (Real)
15 de julho de 2026
Última atualização enviada que atendeu aos critérios de controle de qualidade
14 de julho de 2026
Última verificação
1 de maio de 2026
Mais Informações
Termos relacionados a este estudo
Termos MeSH relevantes adicionais
- Doenças Cerebrais
- Doenças do Sistema Nervoso Central
- Doenças do Sistema Nervoso
- Processos Patológicos
- Doenças Metabólicas
- Doenças do aparelho digestivo
- Doenças do Fígado
- Doenças Cerebrais Metabólicas
- Insuficiência hepática
- Insuficiência Hepática
- Fibrose
- Condições Patológicas, Sinais e Sintomas
- Doenças Nutricionais e Metabólicas
- Cirrose hepática
- Encefalopatia hepática
Outros números de identificação do estudo
- 2026-SR-358
Plano para dados de participantes individuais (IPD)
Planeja compartilhar dados de participantes individuais (IPD)?
NÃO
Informações sobre medicamentos e dispositivos, documentos de estudo
Estuda um medicamento regulamentado pela FDA dos EUA
Não
Estuda um produto de dispositivo regulamentado pela FDA dos EUA
Não
Essas informações foram obtidas diretamente do site clinicaltrials.gov sem nenhuma alteração. Se você tiver alguma solicitação para alterar, remover ou atualizar os detalhes do seu estudo, entre em contato com register@clinicaltrials.gov. Assim que uma alteração for implementada em clinicaltrials.gov, ela também será atualizada automaticamente em nosso site .