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Introduction to dementia
Published in Joanne Brooke, Dementia in Prison, 2020
People in society regularly consume higher levels of alcohol than the recommended limit. Alcohol misuse causes ARBD in a range of ways, including the impact of alcohol on nerve cells, shrinkage of brain tissue and damage to the blood vessels which causes a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine), high blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes (Tallaksen et al., 1992). All of these conditions can damage the brain and lead to the development of other illnesses and diseases (Piano, 2017). It is important to note that not all of these factors are equally important in all forms of ARBD or in everyone with the condition. Alcohol-related brain damage leads to slightly different symptoms in different people and causes a range of conditions. The most common forms of ARBD are alcohol-related dementia and Wernicke-Korsakoff’s syndrome (Ridley et al., 2013).
The Clinical Rehabilitation of People with Alcohol-Related Brain Damage
Published in Jenny Svanberg, Adrienne Withall, Brian Draper, Stephen Bowden, Alcohol and the Adult Brain, 2014
“Alcohol-related brain damage” is now an accepted clinical term across the UK and Europe, founded through practical experience and incorporating the term “alcohol-related dementia”. The latter term can lead to associations with neurodegenerative disorders, implying a progressive and deteriorating condition. However, the great majority of people with ARBD will improve in the context of abstinence, appropriate nutrition and care (MacRae and Cox, 2003). “Alcohol-related brain damage” is a generic term that includes a wide range of syndromes primarily caused through prolonged misuse of alcohol and thiamine deficiency. Necessarily, the term encompasses the Wernicke/Korsakoff spectrum, cerebellar dysfunction, related amnesiac presentations and the most common presentation of dysexecutive syndrome.
Professional Perspectives on Supporting Those with Alcohol-Related Neurocognitive Disorders: Challenges & Effective Treatment
Published in Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 2021
Robert M. Heirene, Bev John, Marie O’Hanrahan, Ioannis Angelakis, Gareth Roderique-Davies
Alcohol-related neurocognitive disorders (ARNDs) result from excessive and chronic alcohol consumption combined with dietary deficiencies and/or liver dysfunction (Fama et al., 2017; Ritz et al., 2016). Seven ARND syndromes1 are recognized (Zahr & Pfefferbaum, 2017), including Wernicke-Korsakoff’s syndrome (WKS) and Hepatic Encephalopathy (see Table 1). Although, it is important to note that the Alcohol-Related Dementia (ARD) diagnosis remains contentious (see Heirene, John, & Roderique-Davies, 2018). Moreover, in addition to the seven syndromes, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) refers to “Alcohol-related neurocognitive disorders”, including mild and major forms, the latter of which is further divided into amnestic-confabulatory (i.e., WKS) and non-amnestic forms (potentially reflecting ARD). The umbrella term “Alcohol-Related Brain Damage” (ARBD) has also been used to encompass the spectrum of brain damage and functional consequences occurring in those with Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs), subsuming WKS, ARD, and others under one diagnostic rubric (Heirene et al., 2018).
Errorless (re)learning of everyday activities in patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome: A feasibility study
Published in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2019
Yvonne C. M. Rensen, Jos I. M. Egger, Josette Westhoff, Serge J. W. Walvoort, Roy P. C. Kessels
Chronic and excessive alcohol use can affect the brain, resulting in varying degrees of cognitive impairment. Cognitive deficits in multiple cognitive domains can be found in individuals with alcohol-related brain damage, but often encompass episodic memory (Ihara, Berrios, & London, 2000; Pitel et al., 2007) and executive function (Ihara et al., 2000; Noel et al., 2001). The most severe neuropsychiatric disorder that is commonly associated with alcoholism is Korsakoff’s syndrome. Korsakoff’s syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disorder, typically resulting from thiamine deficiency. A continuity theory has been proposed (Pitel et al., 2008; Ryback, 1971), postulating a progressive increase in brain and cognitive damage between patients with alcohol use disorders with and without Korsakoff’s syndrome (Bowden, 1990; Butters & Brandt, 1985; Parsons, 1998), with Korsakoff’s syndrome covering the most severe end of the continuum. Some recovery of alcohol-related brain damage and cognitive deficits has been observed after weeks, months, or even years of abstinence (Fein, Torres, Price, & DiScalfani, 2006; Pitel et al., 2009; Walvoort, Wester, & Egger, 2013). Approximately 25% of the patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome completely recover, yet in 25% the neurocognitive profile remains unchanged (Kopelman, Thomson, Guerrini, & Marshall, 2009; Victor, Adams, & Collins, 1971).