Abano - Padova (Italy)

The long-standing informal relationship between neuroscientists and hepatologists involved in this field was recently formalized by the creation of the International Society for Hepatic Encephalopathy and Nitrogen Metabolism (ISHEN). The first formal meeting of this society, the thirteenth meeting since 1972, was held in Padua, Italy from April the 28th to May the 1st 2008. The Symposium was subdivided into nine sessions:

• Acute Hepatic Encephalopathy in ALF
• Inflammation, interleukins and brain dysfunction
• Basic mechanisms of neurotoxicity in HE
• Ammonia and the neurobiology of HE
• Inter-organ nitrogen exchange, hyperammonaemia and metabolism
• Diagnostic and monitoring procedures
• Neurological sequelae of OLTx; HCV and brain dysfunction, Nutritional brain dysfunctions
• Management of HE 2008 and risk factors
• Miscellanea

An important feature of the Congress was the discussion and the agreement on Practice Guidelines elaborated by six international commissions that have been appointed by the ISHEN to deal on Neuroimaging in HE, Neuropsychological Investigation of HE, Neurophysiological Investigation in HE, Experimental Animal Models of HE, Clinical Evaluation of HE, Design and Endpoints of Clinical Trials on HE. The preparative works by the six commissions lasted about one year, so that wide discussion was possible. The Abstracts of the presentations available on Liver International (Liver Int, volume 28, 721-752, 2008), the majority of the invited lectures are available on a special issue of Metabolic Brain Diseases (Issue 1 volume 24, 2009) and the Practice Guidelines are in publication on Liver International.