Biomaterial Database

The Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. 1980

J F Feinberg

Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff's psychosis represent a continuum of the same pathologic process. The etiology is an absolute deficiency of thiamine rather than a direct toxic effect of alcohol. The triad of Wernicke's encephalopathy--global confusional state, ophthalmoplegia and nystagmus, and ataxia--is occasionally seen in chronic alcoholics and is often attenuated by immediate thiamine treatment. The triad of Korsakoff's psychosis--memory loss, learning deficits and confabulation--may be seen in either the acute or the long-term care setting.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000425	Alcohol Amnestic Disorder	A mental disorder associated with chronic ethanol abuse (ALCOHOLISM) and nutritional deficiencies characterized by short term memory loss, confabulations, and disturbances of attention. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1139)	Alcohol-Induced Amnestic Syndrome,Amnestic Psychosis, Alcohol-Induced,Alcohol Amnestic Syndrome,Alcohol-Induced Amnestic Psychosis,Alcohol-Induced Dysmnesic Psychosis,Alcohol-Induced Dysmnesic Syndrome,Alcohol-Induced Persisting Amnestic Disorder,Alcohol Amnestic Disorders,Alcohol Amnestic Syndromes,Alcohol Induced Amnestic Psychosis,Alcohol Induced Amnestic Syndrome,Alcohol Induced Dysmnesic Psychosis,Alcohol Induced Dysmnesic Syndrome,Alcohol Induced Persisting Amnestic Disorder,Alcohol-Induced Amnestic Psychoses,Alcohol-Induced Amnestic Syndromes,Alcohol-Induced Dysmnesic Psychoses,Alcohol-Induced Dysmnesic Syndromes,Amnestic Disorder, Alcohol,Amnestic Psychoses, Alcohol-Induced,Amnestic Psychosis, Alcohol Induced,Amnestic Syndrome, Alcohol-Induced,Amnestic Syndromes, Alcohol-Induced,Dysmnesic Psychoses, Alcohol-Induced,Dysmnesic Psychosis, Alcohol-Induced,Dysmnesic Syndrome, Alcohol-Induced,Dysmnesic Syndromes, Alcohol-Induced,Psychoses, Alcohol-Induced Amnestic,Psychoses, Alcohol-Induced Dysmnesic,Psychosis, Alcohol-Induced Amnestic,Psychosis, Alcohol-Induced Dysmnesic
D013577	Syndrome	A characteristic symptom complex.	Symptom Cluster,Cluster, Symptom,Clusters, Symptom,Symptom Clusters,Syndromes
D013831	Thiamine	3-((4-Amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl)-5-(2- hydroxyethyl)-4-methylthiazolium chloride.	Aneurin,Vitamin B 1,Thiamin,Thiamine Mononitrate,Vitamin B1,Mononitrate, Thiamine
D013832	Thiamine Deficiency	A nutritional condition produced by a deficiency of THIAMINE in the diet, characterized by anorexia, irritability, and weight loss. Later, patients experience weakness, peripheral neuropathy, headache, and tachycardia. In addition to being caused by a poor diet, thiamine deficiency in the United States most commonly occurs as a result of alcoholism, since ethanol interferes with thiamine absorption. In countries relying on polished rice as a dietary staple, BERIBERI prevalence is very high. (From Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 19th ed, p1171)	Deficiency, Thiamine,Deficiencies, Thiamine,Thiamine Deficiencies
D014899	Wernicke Encephalopathy	An acute neurological disorder characterized by the triad of ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and disturbances of mental activity or consciousness. Eye movement abnormalities include nystagmus, external rectus palsies, and reduced conjugate gaze. THIAMINE DEFICIENCY and chronic ALCOHOLISM are associated conditions. Pathologic features include periventricular petechial hemorrhages and neuropil breakdown in the diencephalon and brainstem. Chronic thiamine deficiency may lead to KORSAKOFF SYNDROME. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1139-42; Davis & Robertson, Textbook of Neuropathology, 2nd ed, pp452-3)	Beriberi, Cerebral,Encephalopathy, Wernicke,Encephalopathy, Gayet-Wernicke,Encephalopathy, Wernicke's,Gayet-Wernicke Encephalopathy,Wernicke Disease,Wernicke Polioencephalitis, Superior Hemorrhagic,Wernicke Superior Hemorrhagic Polioencephalitis,Wernicke Syndrome,Wernicke's Disease,Wernicke's Encephalopathy,Wernicke's Polioencephalitis, Superior Hemorrhagic,Wernicke's Superior Hemorrhagic Polioencephalitis,Wernicke's Syndrome,Cerebral Beriberi,Encephalopathies, Wernicke,Encephalopathy, Gayet Wernicke,Encephalopathy, Wernickes,Gayet Wernicke Encephalopathy,Wernicke Encephalopathies