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Beyond Thiamine: Treatment for Cognitive Impairment in Korsakoff's Syndrome.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Johnson, JM; Fox, V
Published in: Psychosomatics
2018

BACKGROUND: Wernicke's encephalopathy is a condition whose treatment many consultation-liaison psychiatrists know quite well. Less clear, however, is the treatment of its dementia disorder descendent, the Korsakoff's syndrome (KS). OBJECTIVE: This article seeks to review treatment options and provide recommendations for consultation-liaison psychiatrists treating cognitive impairment in KS. METHODS: In this nonsystematic review, we reviewed PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and Google Scholar for published reports and studies regarding treatment of KS. RESULTS: The literature revealed case reports and placebo-controlled trials of various medications for treatment of KS, though the samples sizes were small and were mostly case reports. There is more attention devoted toward medications used in other dementia disorders, such as donepezil and memantine. The literature revealed more studies around behavioral interventions recommended for treatment of memory impairment in KS and they focused on cognitive remediation and environmental adaptation, such as the use of PDAs or alarms. CONCLUSIONS: There is no single, well-studied intervention proven effective as a primary treatment for cognitive impairment in KS. An approach of using environmental modifications in a well-structured living environment, combined with various cognitive interventions, such as pictorial associations, and perhaps a trial of donepezil or memantine, likely represents the best strategy for treating long-term cognitive impairment in KS.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Psychosomatics

DOI

EISSN

1545-7206

Publication Date

2018

Volume

59

Issue

4

Start / End Page

311 / 317

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Thiamine
  • Referral and Consultation
  • Psychiatry
  • Memantine
  • Korsakoff Syndrome
  • Humans
  • Dopamine Agents
  • Donepezil
  • Cognitive Dysfunction
 

Citation

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Johnson, J. M., & Fox, V. (2018). Beyond Thiamine: Treatment for Cognitive Impairment in Korsakoff's Syndrome. Psychosomatics, 59(4), 311–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psym.2018.03.011
Johnson, Justin M., and Valerie Fox. “Beyond Thiamine: Treatment for Cognitive Impairment in Korsakoff's Syndrome.Psychosomatics 59, no. 4 (2018): 311–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psym.2018.03.011.
Johnson JM, Fox V. Beyond Thiamine: Treatment for Cognitive Impairment in Korsakoff's Syndrome. Psychosomatics. 2018;59(4):311–7.
Johnson, Justin M., and Valerie Fox. “Beyond Thiamine: Treatment for Cognitive Impairment in Korsakoff's Syndrome.Psychosomatics, vol. 59, no. 4, 2018, pp. 311–17. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.psym.2018.03.011.
Johnson JM, Fox V. Beyond Thiamine: Treatment for Cognitive Impairment in Korsakoff's Syndrome. Psychosomatics. 2018;59(4):311–317.
Journal cover image

Published In

Psychosomatics

DOI

EISSN

1545-7206

Publication Date

2018

Volume

59

Issue

4

Start / End Page

311 / 317

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Thiamine
  • Referral and Consultation
  • Psychiatry
  • Memantine
  • Korsakoff Syndrome
  • Humans
  • Dopamine Agents
  • Donepezil
  • Cognitive Dysfunction