Korsakoff’s syndrome: A Third Fate For Alcoholics?

Answer 1

Chronic Alcoholism is associated with crime, car accidents, homicide, and suicide. One of the sayings of the popular support group alcoholics anonymous is that the path of an alcoholic is always jail or death from alcoholism. They leave out a third, more frightening prospect: Korsakoff’s syndrome. For chronic alcoholics who survive their binges, dementia is a third less pleasant consequence.

Korsakoff’s syndrome is caused by thiamine deficiency in the brain. Thiamine is also commonly referred to as Vitamin B1. It’s a lot more important than it sounds. A chronic deficiency of Vitamin B1 leads to the symptoms of Korsakoff’s syndrome. These symptoms can be best described as alcoholic dementia. If severe enough, the syndrome renders the individual unable to take care of themselves. Many people with Korsakoff’s Syndrome are forced to live in nursing homes because of the condition.

Its symptoms include anterograde and retrograde amnesia, lack of insight, limited conversational skills, and apathy. Once this type of brain damage occurs, it cannot be reversed. There is no effective treatment for Korsakoff’s treatment.

Alcoholics can’t avoid this fate by plying themselves with thiamine, either. Alcohol interferes with the absorption of thiamine, producing a deficiency no matter how much thiamine is consumed. The resulting deficiency leads to permanent brain damage to the medial thalamic nuclei and mammillary bodies.

The most profound effect is on memory. Someone with Korsakoff’s syndrome might say something and five minutes they, they will repeat the same thing because they can’t remember having said it in the first place. They might forget people or places they’ve been in the past. It’s not a pleasant thing for families to witness as their loved one slips away from this type of brain damage.

It is for this reason that so many organizations attempt to help alcoholics and save them from this irreversible brain damage. There are inpatient treatment clinics, AA meetings, outpatient therapy, and many other places where alcoholics can get help before it’s too late. Jail and death are terrible fates, but Korsakoff’s syndrome contains a little of both. Anyone who loves someone who has alcoholism should continue to encourage them to get help before it’s too late.