YouAreHere:Home→MedicalEncyclopedia→Wernicke-KorsakoffsyndromeURLofthispage://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000771.htmWernicke-KorsakoffsyndromeWernicke-KorsakoffsyndromeisabraindisorderduetovitaminB1(thiamine)deficiency.CausesWernickeencephalopathyandKorsakoffsyndromearedifferentconditionsthatoftenoccurtogether.BothareduetobraindamagecausedbyalackofvitaminB1.LackofvitaminB1iscommoninpeoplewhohavealcoholusedisorder.Itisalsocommoninpeoplewhosebodiesdonotabsorbfoodproperly(malabsorption).Thiscansometimesoccurwithachronicillnessorafterweight-loss(bariatric)surgery.Korsakoffsyndrome,orKorsakoffpsychosis,tendstodevelopasWernickeencephalopathyassymptomsgoaway.Wernickeencephalopathycausesbraindamageinlowerpartsofthebraincalledthethalamusandhypothalamus.Korsakoffpsychosisresultsfrompermanentdamagetoareasofthebraininvolvedwithmemory.SymptomsSymptomsofWernickeencephalopathyinclude:ConfusionandlossofmentalactivitythatcanprogresstocomaanddeathLossofmusclecoordination(ataxia)thatcancauselegtremorVisionchangessuchasabnormaleyemovements(backandforthmovementscallednystagmus),doublevision, eyeliddroopingAlcoholwithdrawalSymptomsofKorsakoffsyndrome:InabilitytoformnewmemoriesLossofmemory,canbesevereMakingupstories(confabulation)Seeingorhearingthingsthatarenotreallythere(hallucinations)ExamsandTestsExaminationofthenervous/muscularsystemmayshowdamagetomanynervesystems:AbnormaleyemovementDecreasedorabnormalreflexesFastpulse(heartrate)LowbloodpressureLowbodytemperatureMuscleweaknessandatrophy(lossoftissuemass)Problemswithwalk(gait)andcoordinationThepersonmayappearpoorlynourished.Thefollowingtestsareusedtocheckaperson'snutritionlevel:Serumalbumin(relatestoperson'sgeneralnutrition)SerumvitaminB1levelsTransketolaseactivityinredbloodcells(reducedinpeoplewiththiaminedeficiency)Liverenzymesmaybehighinpeoplewithahistoryoflong-termalcoholabuse.Otherconditionsthatmaycause vitaminB1 deficiencyinclude:HIV/AIDSCancersthathavespreadthroughoutthebodyExtremenauseaandvomitingduringpregnancy(hyperemesisgra