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Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

MedGen UID:
83883
Concept ID:
C0349464
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Synonyms: Alcohol induced encephalopathy; Korsakoff Syndrome; Korsakoff's amnesic syndrome; Korsakoff's psychosis; Transketolase defect; Wernicke's encephalopathy
SNOMED CT: Korsakoff's psychosis (69482004); Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (69482004); Wernicke-Korsakov syndrome (69482004); Korsakoff psychosis (69482004); Korsakov psychosis (69482004)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0010198
OMIM®: 277730

Definition

A psychotic syndrome caused by damage to the brain by lack of thiamine (vitamin B1). Signs and symptoms include anterograde and retrograde amnesia, confabulation, apathy, ataxia, and coma. [from NCI]

Clinical features

From HPO
Cerebellar ataxia
MedGen UID:
849
Concept ID:
C0007758
Disease or Syndrome
Cerebellar ataxia refers to ataxia due to dysfunction of the cerebellum. This causes a variety of elementary neurological deficits including asynergy (lack of coordination between muscles, limbs and joints), dysmetria (lack of ability to judge distances that can lead to under- or overshoot in grasping movements), and dysdiadochokinesia (inability to perform rapid movements requiring antagonizing muscle groups to be switched on and off repeatedly).
Coma
MedGen UID:
1054
Concept ID:
C0009421
Disease or Syndrome
The complete absence of wakefulness and consciousness, which is evident through a lack of response to any form of external stimuli.
Confusion
MedGen UID:
3587
Concept ID:
C0009676
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Lack of clarity and coherence of thought, perception, understanding, or action.
Delirium
MedGen UID:
41445
Concept ID:
C0011206
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
A state of sudden and severe confusion.
Psychotic disorder
MedGen UID:
19568
Concept ID:
C0033975
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
A condition characterized by changes in personality and thought patterns, often accompanied by hallucinations and delusional beliefs, is known as psychosis.
Polyneuropathy
MedGen UID:
57502
Concept ID:
C0152025
Disease or Syndrome
A generalized disorder of peripheral nerves.
Memory impairment
MedGen UID:
68579
Concept ID:
C0233794
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
An impairment of memory as manifested by a reduced ability to remember things such as dates and names, and increased forgetfulness.
Ptosis
MedGen UID:
2287
Concept ID:
C0005745
Disease or Syndrome
The upper eyelid margin is positioned 3 mm or more lower than usual and covers the superior portion of the iris (objective); or, the upper lid margin obscures at least part of the pupil (subjective).
Ophthalmoplegia
MedGen UID:
45205
Concept ID:
C0029089
Sign or Symptom
Paralysis of one or more extraocular muscles that are responsible for eye movements.
Horizontal nystagmus
MedGen UID:
124399
Concept ID:
C0271385
Disease or Syndrome
Nystagmus consisting of horizontal to-and-fro eye movements.

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVWernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Johnson JM, Fox V
Psychosomatics 2018 Jul-Aug;59(4):311-317. Epub 2018 Mar 27 doi: 10.1016/j.psym.2018.03.011. PMID: 29751937
Brust JC
Handb Clin Neurol 2014;125:123-31. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-62619-6.00008-2. PMID: 25307572
Latt N, Dore G
Intern Med J 2014 Sep;44(9):911-5. doi: 10.1111/imj.12522. PMID: 25201422

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Mrowicka M, Mrowicki J, Dragan G, Majsterek I
Biosci Rep 2023 Oct 31;43(10) doi: 10.1042/BSR20230374. PMID: 37389565Free PMC Article
Dingwall KM, Delima JF, Binks P, Batey R, Bowden SC
Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022 Jun;46(6):1133-1147. Epub 2022 May 10 doi: 10.1111/acer.14843. PMID: 35428992Free PMC Article
Mateos-Díaz AM, Marcos M, Chamorro AJ
Med Clin (Barc) 2022 May 13;158(9):431-436. Epub 2022 Jan 14 doi: 10.1016/j.medcli.2021.11.015. PMID: 35039171
Isenberg-Grzeda E, Rahane S, DeRosa AP, Ellis J, Nicolson SE
Lancet Oncol 2016 Apr;17(4):e142-e148. Epub 2016 Mar 29 doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(16)00037-1. PMID: 27300674
Isenberg-Grzeda E, Kutner HE, Nicolson SE
Psychosomatics 2012 Nov-Dec;53(6):507-16. doi: 10.1016/j.psym.2012.04.008. PMID: 23157990

Diagnosis

Mateos-Díaz AM, Marcos M, Chamorro AJ
Med Clin (Barc) 2022 May 13;158(9):431-436. Epub 2022 Jan 14 doi: 10.1016/j.medcli.2021.11.015. PMID: 35039171
Alessandro L, Ricciardi M, Chaves H, Allegri RF
J Neurol Sci 2020 Jun 15;413:116781. Epub 2020 Mar 18 doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116781. PMID: 32203745
Chandrakumar A, Bhardwaj A, 't Jong GW
J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2018 Oct 2;30(2):153-162. doi: 10.1515/jbcpp-2018-0075. PMID: 30281514
Latt N, Dore G
Intern Med J 2014 Sep;44(9):911-5. doi: 10.1111/imj.12522. PMID: 25201422
Zubaran C, Fernandes JG, Rodnight R
Postgrad Med J 1997 Jan;73(855):27-31. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.73.855.27. PMID: 9039406Free PMC Article

Therapy

Dingwall KM, Delima JF, Binks P, Batey R, Bowden SC
Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022 Jun;46(6):1133-1147. Epub 2022 May 10 doi: 10.1111/acer.14843. PMID: 35428992Free PMC Article
Mateos-Díaz AM, Marcos M, Chamorro AJ
Med Clin (Barc) 2022 May 13;158(9):431-436. Epub 2022 Jan 14 doi: 10.1016/j.medcli.2021.11.015. PMID: 35039171
Nutt D, Hayes A, Fonville L, Zafar R, Palmer EOC, Paterson L, Lingford-Hughes A
Nutrients 2021 Nov 4;13(11) doi: 10.3390/nu13113938. PMID: 34836193Free PMC Article
Latt N, Dore G
Intern Med J 2014 Sep;44(9):911-5. doi: 10.1111/imj.12522. PMID: 25201422
Zubaran C, Fernandes JG, Rodnight R
Postgrad Med J 1997 Jan;73(855):27-31. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.73.855.27. PMID: 9039406Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Fiorentini M, Nedu B, Dapoto F, Brunelli E, Pilu G, Youssef A
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2023 Dec;36(2):2223678. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2023.2223678. PMID: 37322816
Palm A, Vataja R, Talaslahti T, Ginters M, Kautiainen H, Elonheimo H, Suvisaari J, Lindberg N, Koponen H
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2022 Aug;37(8) doi: 10.1002/gps.5775. PMID: 35789035Free PMC Article
Oudman E, Wijnia JW, Oey MJ, van Dam M, Postma A
J Neurol Sci 2021 Jul 15;426:117482. Epub 2021 May 7 doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117482. PMID: 34000679
Sanvisens A, Zuluaga P, Fuster D, Rivas I, Tor J, Marcos M, Chamorro AJ, Muga R
Alcohol Alcohol 2017 Jul 1;52(4):466-471. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agx013. PMID: 28340112
Zubaran C, Fernandes JG, Rodnight R
Postgrad Med J 1997 Jan;73(855):27-31. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.73.855.27. PMID: 9039406Free PMC Article

Clinical prediction guides

Dingwall KM, Delima JF, Binks P, Batey R, Bowden SC
Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022 Jun;46(6):1133-1147. Epub 2022 May 10 doi: 10.1111/acer.14843. PMID: 35428992Free PMC Article
Oudman E, Wijnia JW, Oey MJ, van Dam M, Postma A
J Neurol Sci 2021 Jul 15;426:117482. Epub 2021 May 7 doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117482. PMID: 34000679
Lin S, Leppla IE, Yan H, Probert JM, Randhawa PA, Leoutsakos JS, Probasco JC, Neufeld KJ
Psychosomatics 2020 Jan-Feb;61(1):31-38. Epub 2019 Aug 14 doi: 10.1016/j.psym.2019.08.002. PMID: 31607504
Sullivan EV, Pfefferbaum A
Alcohol Alcohol 2009 Mar-Apr;44(2):155-65. Epub 2008 Dec 9 doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agn103. PMID: 19066199Free PMC Article
Rodríguez-Martín JL, López-Arrieta JM, Qizilbash N
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2000;(2):CD001498. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001498. PMID: 10796655

Recent systematic reviews

Westermeyer JJ, Soukup B, Mayer J, Lee K
J Nerv Ment Dis 2021 Aug 1;209(8):592-599. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001351. PMID: 34397759
Isenberg-Grzeda E, Rahane S, DeRosa AP, Ellis J, Nicolson SE
Lancet Oncol 2016 Apr;17(4):e142-e148. Epub 2016 Mar 29 doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(16)00037-1. PMID: 27300674
Scalzo SJ, Bowden SC, Ambrose ML, Whelan G, Cook MJ
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2015 Dec;86(12):1362-8. Epub 2015 Jan 14 doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2014-309598. PMID: 25589780
Day E, Bentham PW, Callaghan R, Kuruvilla T, George S
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013 Jul 1;2013(7):CD004033. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004033.pub3. PMID: 23818100Free PMC Article
Day E, Bentham P, Callaghan R, Kuruvilla T, George S
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD004033. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004033.pub2. PMID: 14974055

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