P300 cognitive evoked potentials before and after liver transplantation

Abstract

P300 cognitive evoked potentials have been shown to be effective for the assessment of mild hepatic encephalopathy but no investigations of their use with liver transplantation has been conducted. In this pilot study 12 subjects (7 male, 5 female, average age 43.9-years-old) underwent recording of auditory and visual P300 cognitive evoked potentials prior to liver transplantation and again 3-6 months subsequent to transplantation. Significant increases (p < 0.01) in P300 visual amplitude, as well as significant decreases in visual (p < 0.01) and auditory latencies (p < 0.01) were observed following transplantation. Auditory amplitudes increased but not to a statistically significant degree. P300 cognitive evoked potentials may provide a useful tool for monitoring the cerebral status of liver transplantation patients if combined with established methods such as cognitive testing and EEG. Further research of their usage with these patients is warranted.