A Comparative Study of Cognitive and Motor Performance in Liver Recipients.

Neurocognitive and motor impairments are often observed both before and after liver transplantation, resulting in inefficiencies in dual-task performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the motor-cognitive dual-task performance in liver recipients, with a particular emphasis on cognition, performance status, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A prospective, cross-sectional, web-based design with a control group was used. The study included 22 liver transplant recipients and 23 controls. Participants completed a motor-cognitive dual-task test (timed up and go test, TUG), a cognitive assessment (mini mental state examination), and a physical performance test (5-repetition sit-to-stand test). The study also used a functional performance status scale (The Karnofsky performance status) and assessed fear of coronavirus disease (fear of COVID-19 scale). Dual-task interference was assessed and the rate of correct responses per second was calculated to assess cognitive performance. The results indicated no statistically significant difference in TUG time and TUG correct responses per second between the groups (group × condition interactions; P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in cognitive and motor dual-task interference during the TUG test between the two groups (P > 0.05). The Karnofsky Performance Status score was significantly correlated with TUG motor dual-task interference (r = -0.424 and P = 0.049). This study suggests that dual-task performance does not differ in cognitive or motor performance between liver recipients and healthy controls under the same dual-task condition. However, further controlled studies are needed to improve the generalizability of these findings.