Korsakoff’s Syndrome

Korsakoff’s syndrome is a disorder that primarily affects the memory system in the brain. It usually results from a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), which may be caused by alcohol abuse, dietary deficiencies, prolonged vomiting, eating disorders, or the effects of chemotherapy.

 

Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: PW111
Diagnosis: Korsakoff’s Syndrome
US Patients: 12.5% of heavy drinkers
World Patients :
Sex Ratio:
Age Onset:
Brain Area: lack of thiamine in the brain along with prolonged use of alcohol; Wernicke encaplophathy may accompany it ; thalamus damage
Symptoms: amnesia, inventing memories, apathy, licak of insight, minimal conversation
Progression: specific “declarative” memories (events), but not procedural memories (bike-riding) can be lost
Causes: malnutrition and heavy drinking over time
Medications: adding dietary thiamine and/or Vitamin B,
Therapies:

Youtube Video: 2-Minute Neuroscience:

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

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4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED

The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis 

Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.

  • Relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment in the adult population over 60 years of age: A systematic review
    by Josep Deví-Bastida on October 29, 2024

    INTRODUCTION: Alcohol is the most consumed substance in Western culture and its use is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and disorders. Our objective was to determine the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment in people aged ≥60, and identify which cognitive functions are most affected by prolonged alcohol consumption.

  • Beyond the Liver: Neurologic Manifestations of Alcohol Use
    by Jiannan Huang on October 3, 2024

    Alcohol use, while commonly associated with liver damage, also has significant neurologic implications, which often mimic hepatic encephalopathy and complicate diagnosis and management. Alcohol mediates its acute central nervous system effects by altering neurotransmitter balance, notably between gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate. Its chronic neurotoxicity, compounded by thiamine deficiency, results in chronic neurologic complications. Clinically, alcohol-related neurologic disorders present...

  • Compensation patterns and altered functional connectivity in alcohol use disorder with and without Korsakoff's syndrome
    by Alexandrine Morand on September 23, 2024

    Alcohol use disorder is a chronic disease characterized by an inappropriate pattern of drinking, resulting in negative consequences for the individual's physical, mental and social health. Korsakoff's syndrome is a complication of alcohol use disorder and is characterized by severe memory and executive deficits. The fronto-cerebellar and Papez circuits are structurally affected in patients with alcohol use disorder with and without Korsakoff's syndrome. The first objective of the present study...

  • Low expression of thiamine pyrophosphokinase-1 contributes to brain susceptibility to thiamine deficiency
    by Yingfeng Xia on August 27, 2024

    Thiamine deficiency is a well-known risk factor for the development of severe encephalopathy, such as Wernicke encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome, but the underlying mechanism is still mysterious. This study aims to investigate the expression levels of thiamine metabolism genes in different tissues and their impact on brain susceptibility to thiamine deficiency. The mRNA and protein levels of four genes known to be associated with thiamine metabolism: thiamine pyrophosphokinase-1 ( Tpk ),...