Abstract
Psychiatric symptoms often accompany liver disease. Hepatic encephalopathy, defined in broad terms as changes in neurological function resulting from liver disease, encompasses a wide range of neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms that are associated with both chronic and acute liver failure.
Hepatic encephalopathy is associated with cognitive dysfunction, impairment of the quality of life, and higher incidence of road accidents. The incidence of viral hepatitis C has been incerasing worldwide.
It can cause general slowing of psychomotor performance, disorientation, depression or hypomania, personality disorders, of sleep disorders. Severe depression can be caused by treatment of hepatitis C with inerferon alpha.
Before liver transplantation, anxiety, depression and alexithymia are frequent; post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis and depression (because of survivor quilt) may appear after liver transplantation.