This study assessed cognitive deficit in patients diagnosed with different stages of hepatic cirrhosis and in liver transplant recipients. A short protocol consisting of several psychometric tests was used. Cirrhotic patients showed a degree of mental impairment in all the functions studied. The severity of the deficit was related to the degree of hepatic dysfunction. In contrast, liver transplant recipients presented only a slightly altered cerebral dysfunction in comparison to the control group. Their cognitive capacity was slightly better than that of patients with asymptomatic cirrhosis.