Alcohol dementia

Alcohol dementia, which is sometimes associated with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, is a form of dementia caused by long-term or excessive drinking resulting in neurological damage and memory loss. Other names for the condition are alcoholic dementia, alcohol related dementia and alcohol-induced persisting dementia. Alcohol dementia causes serious cognitive problems in many alcoholics and up to 10% of patients diagnosed with dementia have a history of prolonged alcohol abuse.

Symptoms/Diagnosis

The symptoms of alcohol dementia are essentially the same as the symptoms present in other types of dementia. There are very few qualitative differences between alcohol dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and it is therefore difficult to distinguish between the two. Some of these warning signs may include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, poor or impaired judgment and problems with language. However the biggest indicator is friends or family members reporting changes in personality. Because these warning signs are so similar, alcohol dementia can be difficult to diagnose.

Anyone who drinks excessive amounts of alcohol over a long period of time is at risk for succumbing to alcohol related dementia. Obviously some people are at a greater risk than others. A male who drinks six or more alcoholic drinks a day is placing himself at a greater risk;...
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