Consumption of alcohol is undoubtedly dangerous to health, causing various harmful effects on not only the body but also on the mind. Nevertheless, people consume it very reliably, ignoring its consequences. Little did they know that overconsumption of alcohol can stimulate various disorders, and one such condition is going to be reviewed in this article. Due to alcohol, memory, the most critical aspect of the cognitive process, gets affected at a higher cost. Let us read the further article to learn about a disorder causing memory loss.
Wernicke-Korsakoff is two different syndromes, but as they overlap, it is referred to as only one disorder. First, Wernicke's syndrome is explained, followed by Korsakoff syndrome.
The overconsumption of alcohol effectively causes Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE). Alcohol damages the lining of the stomach, and thus the production of essential vitamins decreases, leading to thiamine deficiency. Such a crisis heightens if the person still opts for alcohol over a properly balanced meal. Symptoms of this disorder can be mild to harsh, depending upon its cause. Still, a few common symptoms are confusion, jerky eye activities, double vision, and the incapability to coordinate voluntary movement. A clinical triad between ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and confusion determines this disorder. Thiamine is a weakness affecting the brain and peripheral nervous system. Although Wernicke encephalopathy mainly impacts people with a thiamine shortcoming due to chronic alcoholism, various other reasons include severe malnutrition, hyperemesis gravidarum, extended parenteral nutrition, malignancy, immunodeficiency syndromes, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, and intense anorexia nervosa.
Korsakoff syndrome (KS) leads to short-term memory loss and the inability to produce new memories. An exciting term named configuration, joining the gaps of memory with further information, is a central feature of this disorder. It is mainly caused when Wernicke syndrome is not treated as it should. While WE are not the only cause of the disease, several other reasons are HIV, chronic infections, and poor nutrition. Its first target of causing harm is in the brain, where short and long-term memory is placed.
Because the chronic memory loss of Korsakoff syndrome often follows an episode of Wernicke encephalopathy, the established disorder is periodically known as Wernicke- Korsakoff syndrome.
When patients are diagnosed with WE and KS due to overlapping, few common symptoms are experienced.
With WE, symptoms are characterized by three leading clinical features: they are often confused, poor voluntary muscle coordination, and eye irregularities. It may not be necessary that the patient must experience all the above symptoms, as it depends on the severity and cause of the disorder. The main difficulties people face with this disorder are disorientation and a confused state that develops periodically over weeks. Patients may also experience indifference, being in a lazy state, and poor attention. Another additional phase of delirium can occur in patients who consume alcohol or are trying to withdraw. If left untreated, contrived individuals may evolve into a stupor or loss of consciousness (coma). Some affected individuals may have a slow, unstable gait. In the acute stage of the illness, this may encompass an affected individual from standing or walking without assistance.
Lastly, for KS, short-term memory is mainly affected when the patient cannot produce new information in the brain. For some reason, the patients can also suffer from long-term memory loss, which is observed in rare cases. Awareness and social behavior are relatively conserved, and affected people can carry on a socially reasonable conversation that may seem regular. People with Korsakoff syndrome are usually ignorant of their illness and sometimes completely unaware.
The wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is caused by a thiamine or vitamin B1 deficiency. Individuals who are malnourished for whatever cause are at risk for this condition. Chronic alcohol misuse is the most prevalent social component linked with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, resulting in reduced thiamine absorption and usage. However, it is crucial to remember that there are nonalcoholic sources of thiamine deficiency that can result in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Individuals suffering from famine, starvation, insanity, anorexia nervosa, prisoners of war, and terminal cancer are included. Previously, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome was caused by thiamine-deficient infant formula. The Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome can also develop in women with hyperemesis gravidarum during the first trimester of pregnancy. Other prevalent cause is bariatric surgery and gastrointestinal (GI) cancer.
Generally, people who consume over the amount of alcohol are likely to get WKS. Nevertheless, no such evidence can support this theory, as many people who consume additional alcohol are still fit and are not affected by KWS. So maybe it is assumed that it depends upon body and person to person. Moreover, lifestyle and other eating habits can play an important cause in KWS.
Men and women of any age can get affected by KWS, but it is mostly inferred that men above the age of 45 are the potential to get KWS due to alcohol abuse and overconsumption up to that age. The National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia advises that to reduce the risk of all health crises related to alcohol, adults should drink no more than two definitive drinks on any day. This boundary applies to both men and women.
The treatment aims to regain the deficient levels of thiamine in the body. The best dose of thiamine treatment for Wernicke encephalopathy may be as high as 500 mg, given one to three times daily parenterally. All malnourished patients may need higher doses of thiamine, and oral dosing is unreliable and not recommended.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke supports the investigation of neurological disorders such as Wernicke's encephalopathy, Korsakoff's amnesic syndrome, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome to expand our awareness of the functional changes of the diseases and ways to deal with them. One area of analysis is surveying how exercise can improve mental functioning based on the modulation of specific nerve cells in a rodent model of amnesia created by thiamine deficiency.
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