2-Minute Neuroscience: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video, I discuss the symptoms, treatment, and primary cause of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, as well as how the condition affects the brain.
TRANSCRIPT:
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a condition that involves the presence of two related disorders: Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is typically linked to alcoholism, although alcohol consumption is not always a factor. Patients suffering from Wernicke’s encephalopathy commonly experience confusion and disorientation, but may also display eye movement disturbances and movement and gait abnormalities. Korsakoff’s syndrome appears in patients who do not completely recover from Wernicke’s encephalopathy. It involves extensive memory deficits as well as a number of other cognitive and behavioral changes. Korsakoff’s patients typically have a severely impaired ability to form new memories, although the recall of previously formed memories is also affected.
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is caused by a deficiency in the vitamin thiamine, also known as vitamin B1. Thiamine is an essential nutrient, and a thiamine deficiency can impair processes like the utilization of carbohydrates for energy, impacting all organs of the body. The brain, however, is especially affected, as thiamine deficiency can disrupt processes like the synthesis of neurotransmitters, maintenance of membrane potential, and myelination. Alcohol consumption can interfere with thiamine in a number of ways, such as by impairing its absorption from the small intestine, affecting its transport into the brain, and disrupting its utilization.
Within a matter of weeks, thiamine deficiency can result in damage to the brain that is linked to the symptoms mentioned earlier. Common areas that are affected include the mammillary bodies and hypothalamus, thalamus, cerebellum, cortex, and brainstem. In order to minimize negative effects on the brain, when Wernicke’s encephalopathy is suspected, patients are treated with thiamine supplementation. When done promptly, this may lead to a full recovery, but when treatment is delayed patients may die or progress to Korsakoff’s syndrome, and Korsakoff’s syndrome is generally considered irreversible.
REFERENCES:
Arts NJ, Walvoort SJ, Kessels RP. Korsakoff's syndrome: a critical review. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:2875-2890. Published 2017 Nov 27. doi:10.2147/NDT.S130078
Chandrakumar A, Bhardwaj A, 't Jong GW. Review of thiamine deficiency disorders: Wernicke encephalopathy and Korsakoff psychosis. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2018;30(2):153-162. Published 2018 Oct 2. doi:10.1515/jbcpp-2018-0075
Sechi G, Serra A. Wernicke's encephalopathy: new clinical settings and recent advances in diagnosis and management. Lancet Neurol. 2007;6(5):442-455. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(07)70104-7
Im 29 and I have this. Don't let breakups get to you guys, even if she gets with your best mate. 3yrs of drinking wasnt worth it
Wernicke or korsakoff?
26 with this condition. I would love to talk more.
I was diagnosed at 28 with warnickes. Hell of a trip
Can i contact one of you guys with the syndrome? My dad is in the hospital with these symptoms
@chrispowell3761 you are lucky to even be writing this comment
When i found out i was developing a progressively worsening state of this syndrome, i never drank alcohol again.
youve done a great job in controlling alcohol
I wish my partner could see this within himself . I don't know how to help him want to save his life .
@@mammadingo9165 my wife left me and it saved my life.
@@dtsenear for good sir or just so you could recover?
@@mammadingo9165 you need a new man it sounds like 🤷🏻♂️ You shouldnt have to deal with that.
I have it and don't regularly drink alcohol. However I had Arnold Chari Skull and 2 gastric bypasses. After colon rectal cancer. I could eat and keep it down. 95lbs. Every bone in my body was sticking out. I am being treated with Thalamine and 24 RX daily nearly all vitamins and minerals.
IV treatment and blood infusions to help also anemic. Iron extremely low. 10 months in ICU and two Skilled Nursing Facility's. I am finally Home Sweet Home doing well!
Very informative, My husband was recently diagnosed with this, I am shocked at how little the medical community knows about this potentially fatal disease, the lack of clinical studies is tragic! My husband lost his eyesight, his ability to walk and some long term memory, It is my opinion that alcohol is one of the deadliest drugs on the face of the earth for those that have severe addictions to it. There needs to be more studies done of this disease especially now with alcoholism on the rise, Thank You for shedding some light on this
I'm so sorry you had to endure this experience , I'm trying to get my partner to a diagnosis .. they told him he has liver sclerosis but said nothing about the damage to his brain it's devastating truly .
My father (life long excessive beer drinker), stopped eating and slipped into severely declining state over the pandemic resulting in him being unconscious on the ground for 2 days having lived off beer for a few weeks. He was diagnosed with WKS and spend 54 days in hospital (was stable and could've been released 2 weeks earlier but he was still recovering and his final discharge assessment would determine if he kept his medical power of attorney, so we kept him there hoping to get him over the bar).
Luckily his organs recovered quickly in hospital but his walking (ataxia) and his memory (new short to long term memory) were severely compromised. We were told he would likely need full time care for rest of his life and he may never walk. I worked with him daily starting on day 15 in hospital for 60 days both physically and mentally and slow recovery was noticed, i got him to shuffle walk and remember things for 1 hr, then 2 then a day, but progress started to noticeably taper and was almost stagnant at around day 120.
All the research I did basically said there is basically no treatment (given neuron brain damage) other than 100% no alcohol and vitamin B.
But then I started looking into TBI and stroke recovery since there are some parallels, and found some recent stem cell trial results that looked very hopeful. I tried to contact several research doctors but no response and there weren't any new trials soon or that i wanted to risk him being in the 50% placebo group so I looked for clinics internationally and found a few. after looking up reviews and distances we ended up choosing Bioexcelerator in Colombia. The clinic didn't have any experience treating his condition and were hesitant because of the rate of progression from continued alcoholism, but I advocated hard and they accepted him as a patient.
6 months after his hospitalization we were in Colombia and he got 110 million stem cells injected via IV(Not as needed) and 40 million stem cells injected intrathecally into his spinal cavity fluid to migrate to the brain (this was the main hopeful treatment).
48 hrs later he was noticeably sharper and clearer eyed, 72 hrs later he could remember details from earlier in the day or a movie he was watching much better, 2 weeks later he could still remember his trip to Colombia and what connecting flights he was on and where we stayed on route from Colombia to Canada etc. 3 weeks later he drove himself to his dental appointment, settled the bill and drove back home all on his own with his face frozen! and now he recites summaries of articles he read in the paper 1-3 days before.. It's been like a miracle.
I felt like I needed to share my experience in case it helps even one other person, we still have a long road ahead and we pray his recovery continues at the current pace, we are now on week 4 after treatment.
As positive as my father's response has been, I can't say it would be the same in all cases (i don't want to give false hope, but I do want to give hope and credit where it's due) we also don't know yet how far the treatment will help him get back to his former baseline, as you may know WKS is considered like a spectrum from acute /temporary(wernike) to more chronic/permanent (korsakoff), FYI in my dads case the doctors indicated based on his clinical diagnosis and MRIs he was likely mid spectrum with some definite permanent damages but hopeful prognosis on some recovery over many mths/yrs.
I agree. Sometimes people are very prejudice and attack people with this disease.
I'm curious as to what made you guys seek help on this. I'm currently looking into getting help myself
@@chrismelnyk1294what an incredible read. I know this was two years ago but I wonder how things progressed? Your report is so promising for the future of treatment. Thank you for sharing.
My aunt is a heavy alcoholic and drug abuse. She was always rageful and has a rap sheet. The family has spent lots of money on rehabs but she would never take it seriously and tortured family. She lived alone after my uncle died. ( abuse from her and crap) once she was widowed, she immediately hit the hard drugs along with her alcohol use. She didn't want to be fat so she never would eat also she would take water pills or Crack meth scripts ect. She has been this way ever since her teens. When minors are suspected as being with sociopathic or psychopath symptoms they can't diagnose them that young. She has literally put the family thru hell. Abusive and manipulative. She is 64 now and has KS. I found her at her house with 3rd degree burns on her body. She says the dog pulled her down the street. This was thermal full thickness burns. The house was unbelievable her feces ect ammonia everywhere. She was infected and had probably stayed that way unconscious for awhile. Nothing made sense coming out of her mouth and she has no memory. She will confabulate and make a story. Still her manipulation and meanness still can come out. She has lost all cognitive and reasoning abilities. So, weather you binge drink or severe alcoholic and you don't eat, this is the shit that happens. When you talk to them to try to get help they will absolutely fight like he'll and not ever get help. Now, we have her in a 24/7 facility and if she can find a way to escape she will. I'm a retired nurse and there is no way I could have her come live with me and watch her 24/7. I will not live my life under that pressure. The stress and stuff will kill you. This needs to be taught EVERYWHERE!! IT IS NOT FIXABLE. THE BRAIN IS DEAD AND DYING. WHEN THEY POSE THREATS TO FAMILY OR OTHERS, YOU HAVE TO TAKE SAFTEY. Also, do not go bankrupt trying to take care. I finally just petition the court through her caseworker for her to have a guardian/ conservator and that's how this situation is dealt with. Went to visit today and she had the idea she was entitled to certain treatment and room accommodations at a hotel. She has already been rude to the nurses ect. I told them to make sure the trazadone is still prescribed with other meds. Surgery and skin grafts ect in hospital 4 months. Now at her new place. She still thinks the dog drug her down the street. She was burned by fire. Her skin was totally black from her face on down the left side of her body and infected. We will never know exactly what happened but her history tells all you need to know. Doctors and nurses and a complete professional team will tell you. It's awful and complex. Every one is different. But, I'm still shocked she was standing there talking to me in that condition. Sorry to say but it might have been better if she didn't live through that. But, she did and the hospital was a special burn unit ect. They were great. I pray that other people with addiction get proper help and quit the drinking and drugs as soon as possible to avoid the full blown KS. It's a he'll like no other and effects a family horrendously. I appreciate your videos and all that are bringing this info out. I pray that anyone here that has an issue with alcohol addiction and stuff GET HELP NOW! GOD BLESS.
My sister is in a nursing home with WKS. She can't walk. Our stories sound very similar. When my sister ended up in the hospital her skin was black too. I was told her liver was so damaged it caused her skin to turn. She fell around also before she was found unconscious. She had a broken wrist and broken ankle. She's unable to walk from neuropathy from brain damage.
Thank you for the insight. No textbook could teach this.
This is Tik Tok for neurology. Really good stuff, my entire class mad use of these videos for our neuro block
Don't compare this amazing work to that 💩of tik tok
Great video, but I have to keep putting down my drink and rewinding it
Keep making jokes
If you're an actual alcoholic there will come a time when you have no more laughter or joy in living
This is not a joking topic
Grow tf up
Just wanted to say that I really love your videos! I'm impressed by how much one can learn within 2 minutes. You make studying fun, thank you very much :)
It's been a good series so far.
Hope you will keep it up.
I won't mind if you throw in diseases and stuff related neuro either.
I’ve seen this in person and it’s not pretty.
Take care of yourself and reach out for help if you need it.
Love your work. Please keep making more!
Thanks man. I really appreciate these videos. 👏👏👏🙌
Short and concise videos💯👍
Wonderful explanation, as always❤
I'm only here because Dr House mentioned this in one of the episodes
So, Wernicke is essential for speech comprehension and this syndrome has to do with perception; I guess from a multi-purpose approach, Wernicke has a whole range of different functions associated to processing of reality.
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome actually doesn't specifically involve Wernicke's area. The connection between the two is just that Carl Wernicke was the first to describe the speech deficits resulting from damage to what is now known as Wernicke's area as well as the first to describe the condition now known as Wernicke's encephalopathy.
Great video! I now finally know how to pronounce Wernicke
I believe wholeheartedly my father has this
I've read that it is so unknown to so many regular doctors, that 80% of those that die from it, never know they had it. Most people just believe their brain problems are dementia.
Say that name 3 times really fast! 😂😁 I love these kinda videos
I have a father that is die hard alcoholic and has destroyed his brain in the process. But it seems like everywhere we try to find help the places we find only help him to find more excuses to be able to drink. Like the conversation we had with his AA consultant she didn't want to listen to us at all and went straight to my dad to tell him all the things we told her about him. Great. Now the trust between me and my dad is broken. And this video for example is better not to use to educate an alcoholic because... The decease is caused by vitamin B shortage. Not by alcohol. He will just think: ok, so if I take vitamin B supplements I can just keep drinking. If you know anything about what alcoholism is really like you know what I mean. You know I think I will just give up. If professionals actually do more harm than good and work against us people close to him than how am I supposed to help him..
This is the opposite of what you say, although I understand the frustration. You cannot continue to drink if you wish to recover but you need immediate treatment. Your Dad may be able to kick his habit if he sees improvement and a doctor tells him continued alcohol abuse will likely destroy him.
You're also doing harm.
@Grimm_Butterfly That sounds something like a blame-shifter would say. How narrow-minded of you to say such a thing.
@@callumward7503 Of me? I was just explaining how an alcoholic thinks. You have no idea how sick in the head some people can get. It's very simple. They look for excuses. You tell them they get sick because of vitamin B shortage? An alcoholic will only hear: It is not the alcohol that causes the disease. . It's just a fact. Not an opinion. It's just like his smoking. 3 packs a day. For 50 years. His doctor knows this. She checks his lungs and tells him they sound PERFECTLY fine 👌 I mean.. I understand that a doctor can't just lie. But is the ''PERFECTLY 👌'' really a necessary addition ? She could have just said it's ok. (Which I can't understand because he is coughing all day and can hardly walk up a stairs without needing a break to catch his breath) Either she is just stupid or she does it deliberately. No idea wtf some doctors think. I know there are great doctors out there. My personal doctor is a magic woman. She is a hero to me. But there are a whole lot of rubbish doctors around as well.
@Dani-it5sy my doctor told me for years my lungs sounded clear. When I caught covid & literally was struggling to breath she finally referred me to a pulmonary doctor that tested my breathing. I was diagnosed with COPD. Even though my lungs sounded clear to my previous doctor (I found a new one!) I was struggling due to blockage from the COPD.
MY sister has Korsakoff Syndrome & I'm very aware of how alcoholics' thinking can really be altered by their addiction. My sister was the same when she was told she was in ICU due to a thiamine deficiency. She saw no reason to be there & she couldn't even walk or get out of bed.
Does your father still drink?
Great video!
Thank you!
Interesting thx!!
Is it possible to recover? I'm not drinking. Haven't for a while. Months
1 in 4 people recovers and that is in general, the younger you are and the better your diet likely the greater the recovery
My husband got it 4 months after he stopped drinking, and I was giving him a very good B complex with extra B1. His was caught too late. He has permanent damage.
You need to get your doctor to give you a shot of B1, and before that, you need to have a B12 blood test to check your level. You may require to also have B1 intravenously for a week, after the shot. Then make sure you take a B complex every day too. You'll need one with 100mg of B1.
Do Adderall next!
Adderall is a brand-name for an amphetamine drug, and I've done amphetamine: th-cam.com/video/5fYetx-UNEI/w-d-xo.html
Remember to take multivitamins!
oh. legit?
hehe