Trial reportGastroenterology2011
Rifaximin improves driving simulator performance in a randomized trial of patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy.
Trial report in Gastroenterology, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 103 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effect of Rifaximin on Driving Performance, Psychometric Test Performance and Quality of Life in Cirrhotic Patients With Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy: Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.
Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effect of Rifaximin on Covert Hepatic Encephalopathy With Underlying Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Gastrointestinal Dysmotility in Liver Cirrhosis Patients
Driving Skills Recovery Following Procedural Sedation for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: A Prospective Cohort Study
Who cites it
103 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 241 citations in OpenAlex.
- Preventive and therapeutic effects of rifaximin on hepatic encephalopathy with differential application dosages and strategies: a network meta-analysis.BMC gastroenterology · 2024Pooled it
- Clinical Outcome Assessments in Encephalitis: A Systematic ReviewNeurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation · 2024Pooled it
- Rifaximin for prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy in people with cirrhosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Review article: the design of clinical trials in hepatic encephalopathy--an International Society for Hepatic Encephalopathy and Nitrogen Metabolism (ISHEN) consensus statement.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2011Guideline
- Effects of the antibiotic rifaximin on cortical functional connectivity are mediated through insular cortex.Scientific reports · 2021Trial
- Selective improvement by rifaximin of changes in the immunophenotype in patients who improve minimal hepatic encephalopathy.Journal of translational medicine · 2019Trial
- Trial
- Enhancement of functional connectivity, working memory and inhibitory control on multi-modal brain MR imaging with Rifaximin in Cirrhosis: implications for the gut-liver-brain axis.Metabolic brain disease · 2014Trial
- Modulation of the metabiome by rifaximin in patients with cirrhosis and minimal hepatic encephalopathy.PloS one · 2013Trial
- Driving in hepatic encephalopathy.Internal medicine journal · 2026Review
- Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Narrative Review.Cureus · 2026Review
- Quality of Life in Patients with Hepatic Encephalopathy Treated with Rifaximin: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Alterations in Oral Cecal Transit Time and Small Intestinal Microbiota in Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy With Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth.Clinical and translational gastroenterology · 2026Article
- At-Home Critical Flicker Frequency Testing in Cirrhosis: A Feasibility Pilot Study Using the Novel Beacon Device.Gastro hep advances · 2026Article
- Deploying and Examining Beacon for At-Home Patient Self-Monitoring with Critical Flicker Frequency.Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. CHI Conference · 2025Article
- Gut Microbiome-Liver-Brain axis in Alcohol Use Disorder. The role of gut dysbiosis and stress in alcohol-related cognitive impairment progression: possible therapeutic approaches.Neurobiology of stress · 2025Article
- International consensus statement on microbiome testing in clinical practice.The lancet. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2025Review
- Prophylaxis of hepatic encephalopathy: current and future drug targets.Hepatology international · 2024Review
- A Prospective Multimodal Education Intervention for Providers Does Not Increase Hepatic Encephalopathy Treatment Rates.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2024Article
- Improved cognition after rifaximin treatment is associated with changes in intra- and inter-brain network functional connectivity.Journal of translational medicine · 2024Article
43 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND &
aimsPatients with cirrhosis and minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) have driving difficulties but the effects of therapy on driving performance is unclear. We evaluated whether performance on a driving simulator improves in patients with MHE after treatment with rifaximin.
methodsPatients with MHE who were current drivers were randomly assigned to placebo or rifaximin groups and followed up for 8 weeks (n = 42). Patients underwent driving simulation (driving and navigation tasks) at the start (baseline) and end of the study. We evaluated patients' cognitive abilities, quality of life (using the Sickness Impact Profile), serum levels of ammonia, levels of inflammatory cytokines, and model for end-stage-liver disease scores. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients who improved in driving performance, calculated as follows: total driving errors = speeding + illegal turns + collisions.
resultsOver the 8-week study period, patients given rifaximin made significantly greater improvements than those given placebo in avoiding total driving errors (76% vs 31%; P = .013), speeding (81% vs 33%; P = .005), and illegal turns (62% vs 19%; P = .01). Of patients given rifaximin, 91% improved their cognitive performance, compared with 61% of patients given placebo (P = .01); they also made improvements in the psychosocial dimension of the Sickness Impact Profile compared with the placebo group (P = .04). Adherence to the assigned drug averaged 92%. Neither group had changes in ammonia levels or model for end-stage-liver disease scores, but patients in the rifaximin group had increased levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10.
conclusionsPatients with MHE significantly improve driving simulator performance after treatment with rifaximin, compared with placebo.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.