Alcohol-related dementia can causeproblems with memory, learning, judgment, and other cognitive skills.
In short, alcohol misuse over many years can cause dementia in some cases.
Alcohol-related dementia is similar in some ways to Alzheimers disease in that it affects memory and cognitive ability.
Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee
A chronic lack of vitamin B1 can damage nerve cells permanently.
Thiamine works in the brain by helping brain cells produce energy from sugar.
If there is a deficiency of thiamine, brain cells do not produce enough energy to function properly.
WKS happens in two stages.
Wernickes encephalopathy is the acute stage resulting from thiamine deficiency.
However, it can occur earlier or later depending on the amount of alcohol a person consumes.
The life expectancy of people with ARD varies, and more research is needed in this area.
Quality of life and life expectancy vary significantly from person to person.
They will also take a patient’s history, perform a physical exam, and conduct lab tests.
They will determine if a patient’s health status is consistent with the effects of substance misuse.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
However, vitamin B1 treatment rarely improves the loss of memory that takes place once Korsakoff psychosis has developed.
Quitting drinking will prevent additional loss of brain function and damage.
The effects of alcohol-related dementia may be reversible, depending on your circumstances.
The best way to give a shot to reverse symptoms is to quit drinking.
Abstinence of up to one year is linked with improved attention, working memory, and problem-solving abilities.
However, learning and short-term memory impairments may be more difficult to reverse even with abstinence.
Consider attending a support group for sobriety such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
Going to meetings can hold you accountable for quitting drinking and improving your health.
Prevention is the key to reducing the risk of any major health problems and psychosocial consequences of heavy drinking.
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2013;5(1):3. doi:10.1186/alzrt157
Alzheimer’s Association.Korsakoff syndrome.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol’s effects on health.
2016;5(3):e27976.
doi:10.5812/ijhrba.27976
Stanford Medicine.Alcoholics Anonymous most effective path to alcohol abstinence.
