Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neurological condition characterized by a clinical triad of ophthalmoparesis with nystagmus, ataxia, and confusion. This is a life-threatening illness caused by thiamine deficiency, which primarily affects the peripheral and central nervous systems.NCBISkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationResourcesHowToAboutNCBIAccesskeysMyNCBISignintoNCBISignOutNCBIBookshelf.AserviceoftheNationalLibraryofMedicine,NationalInstitutesofHealth.StatPearls[Internet].TreasureIsland(FL):StatPearlsPublishing;2021Jan-.StatPearls[Internet].ShowdetailsTreasureIsland(FL):StatPearlsPublishing;2021Jan-.SearchtermWernickeEncephalopathySarayuVasan;AnilKumar.AuthorInformationAuthorsSarayuVasan1;AnilKumar2.Affiliations1UCLA-KernMedical2GreatPlainsHealthLastUpdate:November21,2020.ContinuingEducationActivityWernickeencephalopathyisanacuteneurologicalconditioncharacterizedbyaclinicaltriadofophthalmoplegia,ataxia,andconfusion.Thisdiseaseiscausedbythiaminedeficiency,whichprimarilyaffectstheperipheralandcentralnervoussystems.ThisshouldbedifferentiatedfromKorsakoffsyndrome,aneuropsychiatricdisorderassociatedwithconfabulationandsignificantdeficitsinanterogradeandretrogradememory.ThisactivityreviewsthepathophysiologyandevaluationofWernickeencephalopathyandhighlightstheroleoftheinterprofessionalteaminthemanagementofpatientswiththisillness.Objectives:DescribethepathophysiologyofWernickeencephalopathy.IdentifythecausesofWernickeencephalopathy.ExplainthetreatmentforWernickeencephalopathy.ExplaintheimportanceofimprovingcarecoordinationamonginterprofessionalteammemberstoenhanceoutcomesforpatientsaffectedbyWernickeencephalopathy.Earncontinuingeducationcredits(CME/CE)onthistopic.IntroductionWernickeencephalopathy(WE)isanacuteneurologicalconditioncharacterizedbyaclinicaltriadofophthalmoparesiswithnystagmus,ataxia,andconfusion.Thisisalife-threateningillnesscausedbythiaminedeficiency,whichprimarilyaffectstheperipheralandcentralnervoussystems.ThisdisordershouldbedifferentiatedfromKors