The name “Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome” can be described as collection of symptoms produced due to the effects of long-term alcohol consumption. It can also be described as spectrum of disease caused due to thiamine deficiency. The symptoms of this disorder resemble ataxia and amnesia. People with WK syndrome will forget the events that happened recently having short term memory loss.
Since the syndrome was initially described by Karl Wernicke, a German neurologist in 1881, this disorder was named after him. It was first named as Wernicke encephalopathy. This disorder is included in the category of amnestic disorders, caused by substance or alcohol abuse.
Symptoms :
People with WK syndrome can remember about the past events since the memories are stored in deep regions of the brain. But the problem is they forget the events and things that happened recently (within minutes). The brain would not be able to store memories of new information.
The symptoms of people with WK syndrome differ depending on the intensity of brain damage. Those with alcohol abuse can have confusion, weakness, changes in vision and loss of muscle coordination. It can cause double vision, blurred vision or drooping of eyelids for some people. They tend to forget any new information shared with them. However they are fully alert mentally and can talk fluently and perform social habits without any problem.
Characteristic Features of WK Syndrome :
Initial stage of WK encephalopathy patients would show confusion of thoughts and disturbed eye movement with ataxia which can occur due to severe alcohol consumption also. But if the intoxication effects remain even after hours it can be due to WK syndrome.
In the final stage of WK syndrome patients would show anterograde amnesia with severe memory loss. Reterograde amnesia is described as memory loss of past events and anterograde amnesia is loss of memory of recent events. Another interesting symptom of WK syndrome is confabulation. It is also called falsification of memory wherein the person would build up stories for his memory loss.