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Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome Research Paper

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Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a neurological disorder. It happens when there is a lack of vitamin b1. It’s more common in those who are heavy drinkers due to the fact that those who drink often, usually have a lack of thiamine (vitamin b1). It can also occur in those who have other disorders such a malabsorbtion, cancer that goes through your body, AIDS, or extremely high thyroid levels. A severe lack of thiamine causes microscopic bleeding throughout the brain and causes scar tissue to develop. If a person is diagnosed with WKS but does not have a drinking problem, the doctor will want to rule out other disorders or surgical procedures that can cause a lack of vitamin b1. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is actually two different conditions …show more content…

They will have skin changes such as dry or flaky skin. There is limited treatment for it Korsakoff syndrome. Doctors recommend taking an oral supplement that has additional thiamine in it. Or if the condition is severe, they can do injected thiamine. Doctors and scientists say that it is rare, but possible, to have only one episode of the condition and make a full recovery. Wernicke’s syndrome happens when there are lesions on the brain. Like Korsakoff syndrome, Wernicke syndrome also has multiple symptoms. The most common ones are double vision, loss of muscle coordination, and being confused easily. When the two conditions combine, they form Wernickie-Korsakoff syndrome. With that condition, symptoms include blurred vision, having difficulty understanding information, putting words into context, and exaggerated story-telling …show more content…

However, there are tests that can be done to help make the diagnosis. They can do a blood test that will let them know the levels of the vitamin b1. Liver and electrolyte levels will also be checked along with vitamin b1 levels. If the doctors are thinking it is WKS and there is a severe lack of that specific vitamin, they know they are going in the right direction. They can give do an EKG, give you an injection of vitamin b1, and then do another EKG to see the difference and abnormalities before and after the injection. They can also do a CT scan to check for brain lesions. Fine motor functions are impacted by the disorder. Hand and finger movements get slower and harder to do. Sense of smell and taste can also be impacted. It also causes weakness in the muscles, which causes slower walking, eye tremors, and even paralysis of the eye muscles. Because WKS makes it harder to retain information and hard to remember things, most people with this condition get frustrated, aggravated, and can get angry

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