Neurocognitive status is associated with all-cause mortality among psychiatric, high-risk liver transplant candidates and recipients.

ObjectiveJudicious selection of potential liver transplant candidates and close monitoring of progress are essential to successful outcomes. Pretransplant psychosocial evaluations are the norm, but the relationship between psychosocial (and neurocognitive status) and longer term medical outcomes is understudied. This exploratory study sought to examine the relationship between objective measures of pretransplant psychosocial and neurocognitive status and service utilization, transplant status, and all-cause mortality.MethodsThis retrospective chart review examined outcomes among 108 psychiatric, high-risk liver transplant candidates up to four years following initial evaluation. Predictor variables of outcomes included demographic, medical, neurocognitive, psychological, and mental health treatment variables.ResultsTransplant status and neurocognitive functioning were independently associated with all-cause mortality. None of the other variables were associated with outcomes.ConclusionsBetter neurocogniti...