Short‐latency reaction time and accuracy are impaired in patients with cirrhosis: An international multicenter retrospective study

• Published in: Geriatrics & gerontology international 2024-01, Vol.24 (1), p.25-31
• Main Authors: Miwa, Takao, Richardson, James K., Murphy, Susan L., Ellmers, Toby J., Miwa, Yoshiyuki, Maeda, Teruo, Hanai, Tatsunori, Shimizu, Masahito
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognitive ability; covert hepatic encephalopathy; driving ability; falls; Liver cirrhosis; minimal hepatic encephalopathy; Regression analysis; Traffic accidents & safety
• ISSN: 1444-1586; 1447-0594
• DOI: 10.1111/ggi.14742

Aim The inability to quickly react to an external event can lead to an increased risk for accidents (e.g., falls, car crashes) in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether a novel clinically feasible measure of simple reaction time (SRT) and reaction accuracy (RA)—a go/no‐go task occurring within 400 ms—could differentiate patients with cirrhosis from controls. Methods This retrospective study included 160 patients with cirrhosis and 160 controls assessed between January 2010 and October 2022. SRT and RA were evaluated using a ruler drop paradigm and compared using propensity score matching. Factors distinguishing patients with cirrhosis from controls were assessed using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) analyses. Results Propensity score matching identified 112 participants in each group with comparable baseline characteristics. As compared with controls, patients with cirrhosis exhibited significantly prolonged SRT (200 vs. 174 ms; P