Meta-analysis finds 24% incidence of cognitive dysfunction after pediatric liver transplant
Photo by Bhautik Patel / Unsplash
Key Takeaway
Consider routine cognitive screening in children after liver transplantation, given a 24% pooled incidence of dysfunction.
This meta-analysis synthesized data from 7494 children who underwent liver transplantation to estimate the pooled incidence of cognitive dysfunction. The overall pooled incidence was 24% (95% CI: 19.0%-30.0%). Subgroup analyses revealed higher incidences in Asia (30.6%) and among children transplanted before 1 year of age (39.4%). The study also examined factors associated with cognitive dysfunction, though the authors note these associations do not imply causation.
The analysis highlights that cognitive dysfunction is a common complication after pediatric liver transplantation, with nearly one in four children affected. The higher rates in certain subgroups suggest that age at transplant and geographic region may play a role, but the underlying reasons remain unclear.
Limitations of this meta-analysis include potential heterogeneity across studies and the lack of reported follow-up duration. The authors call for a multifactorial approach to risk assessment and intervention to optimize long-term cognitive outcomes in this vulnerable population. Clinicians should consider routine cognitive screening and early intervention for children after liver transplantation.
More on Liver Transplantation
Neighborhood Socioenvironmental Burden Associated with Pre-Transplant Variables in Liver Transplant Recipients
Your Neighborhood Could Be Shaping Your Transplant Journey
A single-center retrospective analysis of 2,030 liver transplant recipients in Houston found that a higher Environmental Justice Index score…
Where you live may not determine your transplant outcome, but it can spotlight the extra hurdles you face getting to the operating room.
Systematic review finds wide variation in neurodegenerative disease prevalence among older Russian adults
How common are dementia and Parkinson's in Russia? The answer varies wildly.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 community-based studies in Russia found dementia prevalence ranged from 0.5% to 81.6%, cognitive…
Dementia and Parkinson's rates in Russia swing wildly from 0.5% to over 80% depending on how doctors diagnose patients and which age groups …
Systematic review links immune cell metabolic remodeling to outcomes in liver transplant recipients
Could immune cell energy shifts hold the key to better liver transplant survival?
A systematic review synthesizes evidence on immunometabolic remodeling in liver transplant recipients. It reports that dynamic adaptive chan…
Immune cell energy shifts after liver transplants determine rejection, injury, and tolerance, improving long-term survival, a new analysis f…
Multiphasic CT-based deep learning model predicts early HCC recurrence after liver transplantation
New AI model shows promise for predicting early liver cancer recurrence after transplant
This retrospective cohort study evaluated a multiphasic CT-based multimodal deep learning (MD DL) model in 147 liver transplant recipients. …
A new AI tool using CT scans and lab data predicts early liver cancer return after transplant with high accuracy in past patient records.
View Original Abstract ↓
This study aimed to systematically review the incidence and factors associated with cognitive dysfunction in children after liver transplantation. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and ProQuest) were searched from inception to October 22, 2024. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The pooled incidence was calculated using R software (version 4.3.1). We performed a narrative review to summarize the factors associated with cognitive dysfunction in children after liver transplantation. The protocol of this study was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database, registration number: CRD42025630498. This study included 38 articles involving 7494 participants. The pooled incidence of cognitive dysfunction following pediatric liver transplantation was estimated at 24% (95% CI: 19.0%-30.0%). Highest rates were observed in Asia (30.6%) and among children transplanted < 1 year-old (39.4%). Disease-related factors, treatment-related factors, individual factors, cognitive-behavioral factors and social factors were summarized. Collected evidence showed that the overall incidence of cognitive dysfunction in children after liver transplantation was high. A multifactorial approach to risk assessment and intervention is needed to optimize long-term cognitive outcomes in this vulnerable population.
Standardized formal resuscitation training likely reduces neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries compared to no training or basic training.
A Simple Training Program Is Saving Newborn Lives in Poor Countries
Related in Pediatrics
UK trial reports 4-year event-free survival of 63% and overall survival of 68% in relapsed Wilms tumour patients.
High-dose chemo plus stem cell rescue offers hope for relapsed Wilms tumour
This clinical trial report evaluates outcomes for 78 children with relapsed or refractory Wilms tumour treated in the United Kingdom. The st…
A UK trial found that a risk-stratified protocol with high-dose melphalan and stem cell rescue helped some children with relapsed Wilms tumo…
Audiobooks with scaffolding improve vocabulary in elementary students
Audiobooks with coaching boost vocabulary in struggling readers
This 8-week RCT in 314 third- and fourth-graders found that text-supplemented audiobooks, especially with scaffolded support, improved book-…
Audiobooks alone didn't help poor readers. But with one-on-one coaching, they made real vocabulary gains.
Therapeutic Touch Reduces Crying and Improves Sleep in Infants With Colic
Therapeutic touch reduces crying in babies with colic
This randomized controlled trial in 96 infants with colic found that therapeutic touch based on Watson's Human Care Theory significantly red…
A new trial shows gentle therapeutic touch helps babies cry less and sleep better when they have infantile colic.
Mycophenolate mofetil non-inferior to prednisone for first-episode nephrotic syndrome in children
Mycophenolate Mofetil Offers Alternative to Steroids for Nephrotic Syndrome
This phase 3 non-inferiority trial randomized 272 children aged 1-10 years with first-episode steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome to mycoph…
A new trial shows mycophenolate mofetil works as well as prednisone for children with nephrotic syndrome, with fewer steroid side effects.
From Other Specialties
Systematic review identifies ferroptosis as a key mechanism in acquired sensorineural hearing loss
New way to stop cell death may protect hearing
This systematic review examines the role of ferroptosis in various forms of sensorineural hearing loss, including noise-induced and age-rela…
Scientists found that stopping a specific type of cell death could help prevent hearing loss caused by noise, age, or certain drugs.
Case report and literature review of thymoma associated with stiff person syndrome and myasthenia gravis
A Rare Muscle Stiffness Link to Thymoma Tumor Explained
This case report and literature review examines the association between thymoma and autoimmune syndromes including stiff person syndrome and…
A rare mix of muscle stiffness and weakness was traced to a thymoma tumor, with new genetic clues pointing to a shared immune cause.
Meta-analysis of artificial intelligence models for predicting prostate cancer outcomes
AI Predicts Prostate Cancer Outcomes With 80 Percent Accuracy
This meta-analysis evaluated 85 studies regarding the performance of artificial intelligence models in predicting various prostate cancer ou…
New AI tools can predict prostate cancer outcomes with over 80 percent accuracy, helping men and their doctors make better treatment decisio…
Case report on laparoscopic excision of retroperitoneal mixed type unicentric Castleman disease
Rare Mass Behind Organs Causes Frequent Urination Symptoms
This is a case report of a 52-year-old female with retroperitoneal mixed type unicentric Castleman disease. The main finding was an uneventf…
Frequent urination led doctors to find a rare tumor behind the organs that surgery removed successfully with full recovery.