Guwahati, March 10 -- Ashwin Dhanda, University of Plymouth

A recent study of US veterans found that 10% of those diagnosed with dementia actually had a liver condition called hepatic encephalopathy (HE) - a treatable condition.

The liver can be damaged by several things, including alcohol, fatty deposits and hepatitis viruses. When the damage continues over several years, the liver becomes scarred (known as cirrhosis) and, at a certain point, can no longer perform one of its critical tasks: detoxifying the blood. Toxins (mainly ammonia) can build up and get into the brain, interfering with brain function. This is HE.

HE can be very mild and difficult to diagnose. Symptoms can be as subtle as changes in sleep pattern or irritability. A...