According to the Alzheimer's Association, “Korsakoff syndrome is most commonly caused by alcohol misuse.” In other words, long-term alcohol ...(866)205-8671ReceiveacallChatNowHome/CaregiverResourcesAlcohol-InducedDementiaByKimberlyFowlerNovember27,2017WhenDad’smemorystartedtoslipandhisconfusionsetin,itwasdifficultforustonotice.Wasthisjustoldage,orwashedrunk?Infact,itturnedoutitwassomethingelseentirely.Itwasalcohol-induceddementia.Alcohol-InducedDementiaAlzheimer’sdisease,dementiaandothercognitiveimpairmentsposehugehealthrisksforseniors,butthosebroughtonbyextensivealcoholuse,whicharereferredtoundertheumbrellaterm“alcohol-induceddementia,”or“alcohol-relateddementia”arethemostcomplicatedanddifficulttomanage.It’salsoanincreasinglycommonformofdementia.ArecentstudypublishedinJAMAPsychiatryestimatesthatoneoutofeveryeightAmericansstruggleswithanalcoholdisorderandthegroupofAmericansthatsawthehighestincreaseinalcoholabuseoverthelastdecadewereseniors.CNNreportsthatbetween2003-2013,thenumberofAmericansaged65andolderwithanalcoholusedisorderincreasedby106.7%.ForseniorslikemyDad,alcoholismtakesahugetollonthebody,mindandspirit.Inhiscase,he’sloststrengthinhislegsbecauseofaseriousvitaminBdeficiency.It’slikelythathehasKorsakoffsyndrome–aformofalcohol-induceddementiathatisrelatedtolowthiamine(vitaminB-1)levels.AccordingtotheAlzheimer’sAssociation,“Korsakoffsyndromeismostcommonlycausedbyalcoholmisuse.”Inotherwords,long-termalcoholabusecandepletethebody’sthiamine,causingthisformofdementia.SometimesKorsakoffsyndromeisprecededbyanepisodeofWernickeencephalopathy(alsoknownasWernicke-KorsakoffSyndrome),whichtheAlzheimer’sAssociationsaysisan“acutebrainreactiontoseverelackofthiamine.”Symptomsofthesetworelateddiseasesinclude“confusion,lackofcoordination,staggering,stumbling”and“problemslearningnewinformation,inabilitytorememberrecentevents,andlong-termmemorygaps.”Confabulationisanothercommonsymptom,wheresomeonewiththesyndromemaymakeupinformationthattheycan’tremember.AccordingtotheAlzheimer’sAsso