Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
20,029views
00:00 / 00:00
Videos
Notes
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Pathology
Central nervous system disorders
Spina bifida
Chiari malformation
Dandy-Walker malformation
Syringomyelia
Tethered spinal cord syndrome
Aqueductal stenosis
Septo-optic dysplasia
Cerebral palsy
Spinocerebellar ataxia (NORD)
Transient ischemic attack
Ischemic stroke
Intracerebral hemorrhage
Epidural hematoma
Subdural hematoma
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Saccular aneurysm
Arteriovenous malformation
Broca aphasia
Wernicke aphasia
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Kluver-Bucy syndrome
Concussion and traumatic brain injury
Shaken baby syndrome
Epilepsy
Febrile seizure
Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (NORD)
Tension headache
Cluster headache
Migraine
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Trigeminal neuralgia
Cavernous sinus thrombosis
Alzheimer disease
Vascular dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Lewy body dementia
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Normal pressure hydrocephalus
Torticollis
Essential tremor
Restless legs syndrome
Parkinson disease
Huntington disease
Opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome (NORD)
Multiple sclerosis
Central pontine myelinolysis
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
Transverse myelitis
JC virus (Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy)
Adult brain tumors
Acoustic neuroma (schwannoma)
Pituitary adenoma
Pediatric brain tumors
Brain herniation
Brown-Sequard Syndrome
Cauda equina syndrome
Treponema pallidum (Syphilis)
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Syringomyelia
Friedreich ataxia
Neurogenic bladder
Meningitis
Neonatal meningitis
Encephalitis
Brain abscess
Epidural abscess
Cavernous sinus thrombosis
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Central and peripheral nervous system disorders
Sturge-Weber syndrome
Tuberous sclerosis
Neurofibromatosis
von Hippel-Lindau disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Peripheral nervous system disorders
Spinal muscular atrophy
Poliovirus
Guillain-Barre syndrome
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Trigeminal neuralgia
Bell palsy
Winged scapula
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Ulnar claw
Erb-Duchenne palsy
Klumpke paralysis
Sciatica
Myasthenia gravis
Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
Autonomic nervous system disorders
Orthostatic hypotension
Horner syndrome
Nervous system pathology review
Congenital neurological disorders: Pathology review
Headaches: Pathology review
Seizures: Pathology review
Cerebral vascular disease: Pathology review
Traumatic brain injury: Pathology review
Spinal cord disorders: Pathology review
Dementia: Pathology review
Central nervous system infections: Pathology review
Movement disorders: Pathology review
Neuromuscular junction disorders: Pathology review
Demyelinating disorders: Pathology review
Adult brain tumors: Pathology review
Pediatric brain tumors: Pathology review
Neurocutaneous disorders: Pathology review
Assessments
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Flashcards
0 / 15 complete
USMLE® Step 1 questions
0 / 3 complete
Flashcards
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
of complete
Questions
USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
of complete
Memory Anchors and Partner Content
External References
First Aid
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Ataxia
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome p. 64, 528, 595
Mammillary bodies p. 521, 528
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome p. 595
Memory loss
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome p. 64, 528, 595
Ophthalmoplegia p. 64
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome p. 64, 595
Vitamin B1 deficiency
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome p. 595
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome p. 528, 595
vitamin B1 deficiency p. 64
External Links
Transcript
Contributors
Royce Rajan, MD, MBA
Ursula Florjanczyk, MScBMC
Evan Debevec-McKenney
Tanner Marshall, MS
Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome is named after Carl Wernicke and Sergei Korsakoff, the physicians who discovered the condition in the late 1800s. Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome is caused by Vitamin B1 or thiamine deficiency and it refers to a spectrum of disease. Wernicke's encephalopathy is the acute, reversible stage of the syndrome, and if left untreated it can later lead to Korsakoff syndrome, which is chronic and irreversible.
Thiamine is typically stored in the liver and absorbed in the jejunum and ileum, and then moves throughout the body, where it’s involved in numerous cellular processes that require thiamine. The enzyme thiamine pyrophosphate synthetase transfers a pyrophosphate group from ATP to thiamine, turning it into the coenzyme thiamine pyrophosphate - which is the metabolically active form of thiamine. Now, as a coenzyme, thiamine pyrophosphate functions to assist other enzymes such as pyruvate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and transketolase carry out reactions, particularly regarding glucose metabolism. Furthermore, within the brain, thiamine pyrophosphate helps metabolize lipids and carbohydrates as well as maintain normal amino acid and neurotransmitter levels. In some neurons, thiamine even helps with propagation of a neural impulses down the axon.
Given it’s multifaceted role, a deficiency of thiamine can have serious consequences. Specifically, thiamine deficiency impairs glucose metabolism and this leads to a decrease in cellular energy. One of the major causes of thiamine deficiency, and therefore Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome, is alcohol abuse. Alcohol leads to decreased thiamine levels in various ways. First, alcohol interferes with the conversion of thiamine to its active form, thiamine pyrophosphate by blocking the phosphorylation of thiamine. Second, thiamine is normally absorbed through the first portion of the small intestine called the duodenum. However, ethanol prevents this absorption process, and it is believed that alcohol does this by reducing the gene expression for thiamine transporter-1 within the intestinal brush border. Third, chronic alcohol abuse can lead to fatty liver or cirrhosis which interferes with the storage of thiamine within the liver. Other causes of thiamine deficiency are inadequate intake like in malnutrition and anorexia or due to malabsorption like in stomach cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
Summary
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is a neurological disorder caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), often due to chronic alcohol abuse. It is a combination of Wernicke encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome, presenting with confusion, ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia. Wernicke encephalopathy can progress to Korsakoff syndrome, which causes severe memory loss, disorientation, and confabulation. Treatment includes thiamine supplements, rehabilitation, and cognitive therapy to manage symptoms.
Sources
- "Robbins Basic Pathology" Elsevier (2017)
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2)" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine 8E" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "THE NATURAL HISTORY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF WERNICKE'S ENCEPHALOPATHY AND KORSAKOFF'S PSYCHOSIS" Alcohol and Alcoholism (2005)
- "Health problems and care needs in patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome: A systematic review" Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (2020)
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier, except certain content provided by third parties
Cookies are used by this site.
USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). COMLEX-USA® is a registered trademark of The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Osmosis or this website.
