Wernicke’s encephalopathy: clinical features
Written and reviewed by Dr Ibrahim Imam, Consultant Neurologist. Last reviewed .
Wernicke’s encephalopathy: clinical features. Confusion, Confabulation, Retrograde and anterograde amnesia. Fully referenced neurology checklist.
Cognitive features
- Confusion
- Confabulation
- Retrograde and anterograde amnesia
- Recent memory is worse affected (Ribot’s law)
Ophthalmological features
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Cranial nerve dysfunctions
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Other presentations
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References
- Scalzo SJ, Bowden SC, Ambrose ML, Whelan G, Cook MJ. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome not related to alcohol use: a systematic review. JNNP 2015; 86:1362-1368.
- Ropper AH, Brown RH. Principles of Neurology Eighth edition. McGraw Hill New York 2005 p984-986.
- Bryant BSH, Ehrlichman PD Jr, Hewson D, Sanders JW, Chu CH. Wernicke's encephalopathy presenting as sensorineural hearing loss. Cureus 2020; 12:e7378.
- Xu J, Li F, Xue Y. Acute hearing and visual loss caused by thiamine deficiency. BMC Neurol 2023; 23:285.
- Chitra S, Lath KV. Wernicke's encephalopathy with visual loss in a patient with hyperemesis gravidarum. J Assoc Physicians India 2012; 60:53-56.
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