Alcoholic-Induced Dementia

Alcohol-Related Dementia, aka Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS)

Alcoholic 'Wet brain' is a life-altering and often irreversible form of brain damage, and It is a real, and very serious risk to alcoholics. It is a dangerous, and often irreversible, form of dementia, but because the symptoms are masked by the signs of intoxication, most don't realize it's occurring until after a stretch of sobriety.

WKS is a life-threatening brain disorder that occurs in two stages (Warnicke’s Encephalitis followed by Korsakoff Psychosis), but the signs are usually obscured by the effects of intoxication, allowing it to progress undetected. A reported 80% to 90% of alcoholics who develop Warnicke’s Encephalitis will go on to develop Korsakoff psychosis. It’s so debilitating that in roughly one-quarter of all cases, it is fatal (1.) Rarely is WKS ever diagnosed in the early stages because the symptoms so closely mimic alcohol intoxication that they are usually shrugged off as drunkenness or being hungover.

What Causes Warnicke-Korsakoff?

WKS is mainly caused by malnutrition-specifically, a severe deficiency of Vitamin B1 (thiamine)-as well as other essential vitamins and nutrients. It is most often associated with alcoholics because alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb many nutrients, especially B1. However, those suffering from Crons disease and anorexia, as well as chemotherapy patients, may also be at risk due to poor nutrition and malnourishment.

Vitamin B1 is essential to the growth and function of all the cells and tissues in our bodies. Without it, our bodily systems would fail, and our hearts and brains would fail. Since thiamine is not made by or stored in the body-it is imperative that we maintain a constant supply through our diets. Much of the food we eat contains thiamine naturally, while other foods are fortified with it. Multivitamins will also ensure we get enough thiamine in our diets. This becomes an issue for alcoholics because not only do they tend to eat poorly, but the alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. The resulting malabsorption then causes severe malnutrition. This is why eating a healthy diet and taking a multivitamin every day (as well as staying sober) is stressed repeatedly by the professionals and recovery specialists. You’ll hear it in detox, rehab, support groups, and from your doctor; stop drinking, eat healthy, and take a vitamin every day!

WKS is actually two, overlapping disorders-Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff's psychosis

Phase 1- Wernicke's encephalopathy represents the "acute" (sudden onset) phase of the disorder. It causes damage to the brain and affects a person’s memory, speech, motor skills, blood pressure and coordination, among others. Symptoms of Warnicke’s encephalopathy include:
● mental confusion
● Poor balance
● vision problems (such as double vision)
● Uncontrollable, jerky eye movements (called nystagmus) or droopy lids
● Hypothermia
● lack of muscle coordination (ataxia)
● low blood pressure

Phase 2 - Korsakoff's psychosis is the "chronic" (long-term) stage. This is what happens to the brain when phase 1 is not recognized and promptly treated. The brain cells that were dormant in the first phase have now begun to die and V. Symptoms of Korsakoff's Psychosis include:
● Severe memory loss (forgetting things moments after being told, inability to
form new memories)
● Delirium
● Retrograde Amnesia (losing memories from long ago, before WKS)
● Hallucinations.

Can WKS Be Treated?

Only if caught early, during phase one, can treatment be effective. Here are the likely outcomes:

With treatment:

Early detection, (which means ceasing alcohol use), with medical intervention may help prevent future nerve and brain damage, and possibly slow down (or halt) further brain damage, though recovery from cognitive impairment is usually slow and minimal. A doctor can perform an MRI of your brain and check thiamine levels to determine the severity of damage. Treatment often consists of high doses of
intravenous thiamine, followed by lower doses of oral thiamine along with other vitamins and nutrients.

Without treatment:

Once a person reaches the second phase of this disorder, where cell function in portions of the brain has permanently ceased, damage can no longer be reversed. There is no known treatment that can “revive” dead brain cells. Continuing to drink will only serve to accelerate the deterioration of mental acuity and vital functions until the brain can no longer sustain life for the human body, causing death.

(1) {x-Link:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430729/{/x-link}