“You may be aware of a relative or friend who presents symptoms of dementia, which is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life,” said Laetitia Goosen, the Deputy Manager of Rand Aid Association’s Wedge Gardens Treatment Centre.
Dementia is a brain disease that impairs memory, personality and intellectual functioning.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
However, people are often diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when in fact their dementia is alcohol related.
The big difference is that a history of alcohol abuse is indicative of Korsakoff syndrome.
Korsakoff is a brain disorder associated with heavy alcohol consumption over a long period of time.
It is a permanent memory disorder caused by a deficiency of thiamine (Vitamin B-1) which results from alcohol abuse.
Alcohol has a direct affect on brain cells in the frontal lobe of the brain.
“Although Korsakoff syndrome is not strictly speaking a dementia, people with the condition experience a loss of short-term memory and may also have difficulty with new information/ tasks; attention; may undergo a change in personality; show a lack of insight; reasoning, problem solving and have problems with executive functions like dressing and cooking,” said Goosen.
Korsakoff syndrome is diagnosed in about one in eight people with alcoholism (a dependency on, or addiction to, alcohol).
Alzheimer’s, on the other hand, is an incurable, degenerative brain disease that erodes the memory and eventually robs the sufferer of the ability to preform even the most basic tasks.
As with Korsakoff syndrome, it attacks the brain’s nerve cells, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills and behavioural changes.
“There are very few qualitative differences between alcohol dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and it is therefore difficult to distinguish between the two,” said Goosen.
Some of the warning signs may include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, poor or impaired judgement and problems with language.
However, the biggest indicator is family members and friends reporting changes in personality.
Anyone who drinks excessive amounts of alcohol over a long period of time is at risk of succumbing to alcohol-related dementia,” said Goosen.
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for between 50 and 60 per cent of all cases of dementia.
Statistics on alcohol-related dementia are more difficult to quantify as there is controversy about alcohol as the primary cause and also what role alcohol has in secondary damage.
“We know that alcoholics are at greater risk of dementia and that in up to 20 per cent of cases of dementia, alcohol plays a negative role,” explained Goosen.
To assess Korsakoff syndrome, the person must have a history of alcohol abuse over several years.
Evaluation may include cognitive assessments while MRI scans may also be used to identify lesions in the brain that may develop as a result of the disease.
“The only way to slow down the development of this degenerative disease is total abstinence from alcohol,” said Goosen.
“If the person has been drinking excessively, detoxification in a treatment facility may be required.
“When abstaining from alcohol, the person will need high doses of thiamine, a healthy diet, therapeutic intervention and support.”
Similarity of symptoms:
* Decline in memory
* Learning and communication skills impairment
* Mood shifts
* Personality changes
* Decreasing attention span and judgement
* Increasing confusion and disorientation
* Difficulty in acquiring new information or learning new skills
* Change in personality – at one extreme the person may show apathy (unconcern, lack of emotional reaction), or at the other, talkative and repetitive behaviour
* Lack of insight into the condition – even a person with large gaps in their memory may believe that their memory is functioning normally
* Confabulation – where a person invents events to fill the gaps in memory. For example, a person who has been in hospital for several weeks may talk convincingly about having just visited their aunt earlier that day
* Attention lapses
* Impairment of reasoning and problem solving skills.
“The appearance of the majority of these symptoms may be an indication of the development of either Korsakoff or Alzheimer’s disease,” said Goosen.
“Alcohol misuse is a prime indicator of Korsakoff syndrome and it is advisable to seek professional help should these symptoms appear.
“The age-old adage of prevention is better than cure is applicable regarding the onset and development of Korsakoff syndrome.
“Moderation in alcohol use is definitely advisable as a preventative measure.”
For more information, contact Wedge Gardens Treatment Centre at 011 430 0320.
You can also ‘like’ Wedge Gardens on Facebook or follow them on Twitter (@WedgeGardens)
