Evaluating a Novel, Portable, Self-Administrable Device ("Beacon") That Measures Critical Flicker Frequency as a Test for Hepatic Encephalopathy

Philip Vutien; Richard Li; Ravi Karkar; Sean A Munson; James Fogarty; Kara Walter; Michael Yacoub; George N Ioannou

doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002211

Evaluating a Novel, Portable, Self-Administrable Device ("Beacon") That Measures Critical Flicker Frequency as a Test for Hepatic Encephalopathy

Am J Gastroenterol. 2023 Jun 1;118(6):1096-1100. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002211. Epub 2023 Feb 3.

Authors

Philip Vutien^{1

2}, Richard Li³, Ravi Karkar^{3

4}, Sean A Munson⁵, James Fogarty³, Kara Walter¹, Michael Yacoub¹, George N Ioannou^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ University of Washington, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Seattle, Washington, USA.
² Department of Medicine Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System and University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
³ Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
⁴ Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
⁵ Human Centered Design & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: We compared critical flicker frequency (CFF) thresholds obtained using a novel portable device "Beacon" with thresholds from the commercially available Lafayette Flicker Fusion System (Lafayette-FFS) in patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: One hundred fifty-three participants with chronic liver disease underwent CFF testing using Beacon and Lafayette-FFS with a method-of-limits and/or forced-choice protocol.

Results: Beacon demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation 0.91-0.97) and good correlation with the Lafayette-FFS values (intraclass correlation 0.77-0.84). Forced-choice CFF were on average 4.1 Hz higher than method-of-limits descending CFFs.

Discussion: Beacon can be self-administered by patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis to measure CFF, a validated screening test for minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Flicker Fusion
Hepatic Encephalopathy* / diagnosis
Hepatic Encephalopathy* / etiology
Humans
Liver Cirrhosis / complications
Liver Cirrhosis / diagnosis
Reproducibility of Results

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding