Low blood zinc exacerbates minimal hepatic encephalopathy via altered functional brain activity

Key Points

• The study aims to understand how low blood zinc levels contribute to cognitive impairment in minimal hepatic encephalopathy.
• Assessment of blood zinc levels in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy.
• Analysis of neural activity in specific brain regions.
• Comparison of brain activity patterns with cognitive function.
• Lower blood zinc levels correlate with altered neural activity in the angular gyrus, precuneus, and fusiform gyrus.
• Altered brain activity suggests a neural basis for cognitive impairment associated with minimal hepatic encephalopathy.