To investigate the change of mood and cognitive function of patients with liver cirrhosis before and after liver transplantation (LT).

A total of 26 patients with liver cirrhosis before LT and 24 patients after LT admitted in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from September 2012 to September 2013 were included in this prospective study. Moreover, 26 healthy controls were also included in normal control group. The informed consents of all participants were obtained and the local ethical committee approval had been received. The 26 patients before LT were assigned in preoperative group, among them, 23 were males and 3 were females with the average age of (50±9) years old. The 24 patients after LT were assigned in postoperative group, among them, 22 were males and 2 were females with the average age of (50±6) years old. Among the healthy controls, 23 were males and 3 were females with the average age of (49±9) years old. Clinical data of the three groups were collected respectively. The mood status and the cognitive function of the participants were assessed with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Number Connection Test A (NCT-A) , Digit Symbol Test (DST). The results of multiple groups were compared with one-way analysis of variance and pairwise comparisons were conducted with LSD-t test.

The HAMD, HAMA scores, NCT-A results and DST scores of the preoperative group were (16.2±3.5), (17±5), (56±13) s and (36±11) and those of the postoperative group were (14.2±3.7), (16±3), (52±12) s and (42±7) and those of the normal control group were (7.3±2.4), (8±3), (38±8) s and (54±9). Compared with the normal control group, the HAMD, HAMA scores and NCT-A results of the preoperative group increased significantly (LSD-t=11.919, 8.596, 6.883; P<0.05) and the DST scores decreased significantly (LSD-t=-6.972, P<0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the HAMD, HAMA scores and NCT-A results of the postoperative group increased significantly (LSD-t=8.591, 9.942, 5.475; P<0.05) and the DST scores decreased significantly (LSD-t=-5.599, P<0.05). Compared with preoperative group, the HAMD scores of the postoperative group decreased significantly (LSD-t=-2.209, P<0.05) and the DST scores increased significantly (LSD-t=1.243, P<0.05).

Patients with liver cirrhosis have obvious depression, anxiety and cognitive disorder before LT. A month after LT, depression and cognitive disorder improve obviously, but cannot recover to the normal level. The anxiety improvement is not obvious.