Correlation between the Degree of Liver Fibrosis and Driving Test Alterations as an Indicator of Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy

Abstract

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy is a subclinical disorder in patients with liver cirrhosis that may have an impact upon driving capacity. This study in highly selected patients without other confounding factors examines whether there is a relationship between the degree of liver fibrosis as determined by Fibroscan exploration and the driving test scores. Using the ASDE DRIVER-TEST N-845 system, validated for obtaining the driving license in Spain, we assessed the calculation of distances and time, bimanual visual-motor coordination, reaction time to different stimuli, concentrated attention, and resistance to monotony. The data were processed using the SPSS statistical package, with an analysis of the correlation between the degree of fibrosis and the test scores based on the Spearman statistic and the comparison of means (Mann-Whitney U-test). We found no alterations in driving capacity in patients diagnosed of hepatitis C with different degrees of early stage fibrosis or cirrhosis.