A systematic review published in "BMC Geriatrics" revealed reduced cognitive performance in people having non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study was conducted to explore the link between cognitive function and the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome i.e NAFLD.

By searching electronic databases like CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO, and MEDLINE, studies that determined cognitive function in NAFLD patients were explored.

The neuropsychological tests used in each study were segregated into suitable cognitive domains including ‘visuospatial perception’, ‘psychomotor speed, mental speed, attention’, ‘language’, ‘mental flexibility, ideas, figural creations, abstraction,', ‘general cognition’, ‘memory and learning’ and ‘reasoning’. A total of 11 observational studies and 7978 volunteers (mean age 51 years) were included.

For carrying out qualitative data assessment, the difference in measures between control and NAFLD groups or pre and post in prospective studies and alteration between the groups were stated, based on the analysis stated for the individual studies.

People affected with NAFLD exhibited impaired cognitive performance in 3 cognitive domains: (1) Ideas, abstraction, figural creations and mental flexibility, (2) General cognition, and (3) Psychomotor speed, mental speed, and attention. Hence, there exists an association between NAFLD and impaired cognitive performance. But, for better understanding of the link between NAFLD and cognition, additional research is warranted.