ETOS: Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy in Childhood and Young Adult: epidemiOlogical Study and Pilot Interventional Study

Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy in Pre-hepatic Portal Hypertension Due to Portal Vein Thrombosis in Childhood and Young Adult: epidemiOlogical Study and Pilot Interventional Study.

The aim of the study is:

• Epidemiological/observational: investigating the presence of neuropsychological and electrophysiological alterations, suggesting a condition of minimal hepatic encephalopathy(and its behavioral correlates), in childhood and young adulthood affected by pre-hepatic portal hypertension due to portal vein thrombosis, even for implementing specific diagnostic protocols.
• Interventional: collecting preliminary data on the effects of a probiotic, in order to implement a controlled clinical study.

Epidemiological/observational study investigating the presence of neuropsychological and electrophysiological alterations, suggesting a condition of minimal hepatic encephalopathy(and its behavioral correlates), in childhood and young adulthood affected by pre-hepatic portal hypertension due to portal vein thrombosis, even for implementing specific diagnostic protocols

Inclusion Criteria:

• extra-hepatic portal vein thrombosis
• 4-20 years
• knowledge of italian language
• absence of perceptive or communicative deficit
• absence of psychiatric disease or mental retardation

Exclusion Criteria:

• medical contraindications for required evaluations
• infective pathologies
• parenchymal hepatic pathologies