Assessment of neurological disorders in patients with chronic viral hepatitis: A prospective cohort study

This prospective cohort study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with neurological manifestations in patients with chronic hepatitis. The study involved 233 patients with chronic viral hepatitis from the Shymkent City Infectious Diseases Hospital and the Hepatological Center of the Shymkent Regional Clinical Hospital, conducted between March 2021 and January 2022. To identify neurological disorders, the neurological status of patient was assessed. The prevalence of neurological manifestations in the study population was 49.4%, which 43% of cases involving disorders of the peripheral nervous system. Peripheral neuropathy was common, affecting nearly half of the patients (49.4%). Factors associated with neurological manifestations included age over 50 years disease duration (greater than 5 years) alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (p < 0.014), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level above 40 IU/L. Thus, patients with chronic viral hepatitis exhibit a range of neurological manifestations. We recommend routine screening for neurological disorders, particularly among older patient and those with a longer disease duration.