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

Abstract

'Background: 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: 153 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 CFFs were on average 4.1 Hz higher than MOL-D CFFs. Conclusions: Beacon can be self-administered by patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis to measure CFF, a validated screening test for minimal hepatic encephalopathy.'