20.500.12556/DiRROS-28858 Brain changes in alcohol induced liver cirrhosis patients insights from quantitative susceptibility mapping Background and Purpose: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with liver cirrhosis (LC) that often results in cognitive impairment. Minimal HE (mHE), a subtle form of the condition, significantly affects patients’ quality of life. Advanced imaging techniques, such as quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), provide new insights into the brain changes associated with HE. Materials and Methods: The study included 28 patients (17 with mHE and 11 without) with alcohol-induced LC and 25 healthy controls. MR imaging, including QSM, was utilized to assess microstructural tissue changes and iron deposition in the brain. Cognitive function was assessed through a neuropsychological test battery. QSM quantified magnetic susceptibility in deep gray matter, while enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) were evaluated using T2-weighted images. Statistical analyses, including non-parametric tests and linear regression, assessed differences in susceptibility and their correlation with cognitive performance and EPVS. Results: Significant differences in cognitive performance and brain susceptibility were observed between patients and controls. Patients exhibited lower susceptibility in the caudate nucleus with the accumbens (CNA); mHE patients, in particular, had a significant reduction in CNA susceptibility. Additionally, EPVS grade correlated positively with cognitive decline, suggesting that EPVS may play an essential role in the pathophysiology of mHE. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that QSM can detect subtle brain changes in LC patients, with decreased susceptibility in the CN (caudate nucleus) linked to cognitive impairment in mHE. The role of EPVS in HE warrants further investigation, as it may affect the efficacy of current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. These findings highlight the potential of QSM to improve HE assessment. hepatic encephalopathy QSM enlarged perivascular spaces jetrna encefalopatija povečani perivaskularni prostori true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Neznano 2026-04-09 14:02:03 2026-04-09 14:02:03 2026-04-10 03:55:40 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Opis vira z dne 10. 12. 2025; str. 1-15 iss. 12, [article no.] 2937 Vol. 13 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 612 2227-9059 10.3390/biomedicines13122937 260813571 RAZ_Vovk_Andrej_2025.pdf RAZ_Vovk_Andrej_2025.pdf 1 957CD3338F0C989798F9A680C884BF59 88ee12b187dbf2ed52c63ee46883cac3db32cd4e1cca053922cecaef3bd0c3e3 0a06aa14-340c-11f1-b941-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=43012 https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/12/2937 1 eda5ffc1-340b-11f1-b941-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=43011 Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana 0 0 0