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. 1991 Dec;15(6):956-62.
doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1991.tb05195.x.

Improvement in cognitive functioning of alcoholics following orthotopic liver transplantation

A M Arria  1 , R E Tarter, T E Starzl, D H Van Thiel
Affiliations

Improvement in cognitive functioning of alcoholics following orthotopic liver transplantation

A M Arria et al. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1991 Dec.

Abstract

Cognitive functioning in alcoholic cirrhotics before and 1 year following orthotopic liver transplantation was compared with age- and sex-matched normal subjects. The alcoholic group improved significantly following transplantation on tests measuring psychomotor, visuopractic and abstracting abilities whereas the performance of normal controls remained virtually unchanged. In contrast, memory capacity in alcoholics with cirrhosis did not statistically improve following successful transplantation. Further investigation, using more sophisticated measures of memory function, are required to determine whether memory deficits are either associated with alcohol neurotoxicity or an irreversible component of hepatic encephalopathy. These findings suggest that a reversible hepatic encephalopathy underlies many of the neuropsychologic deficits observed in cirrhotic alcoholics and can be ameliorated following successful liver transplantation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percent change from baseline score on neuropsychologic tests across dimensions of function. Within each dimension, scores were averaged for form four aggregate scores (see Table 2 for components of aggregate scores). ns: not significantly different * p<.05 ** p<.01 *** p<.005
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percent of alcoholic subjects who were clinically impaired (1.5 sd below normal) pre- and post-transplantation. (As in Figure 1, scores were averaged across four dimensions.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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