The Wernicke‐Korsakoff Syndrome: Clinical Correlates and Dilemmas

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Abstract
The Wernicke‐Korsakoff syndrome remains common in Queensland despite a sharp fall in psychiatric hospital unit admissions with this diagnosis. The clinical features of the syndrome are discussed from neuropsychological and anatomical viewpoints. The so‐called continuum hypothesis of memory impairment in problem drinkers has not been supported by recent neuropsychological evidence. Alcoholic and non‐alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy are compared. It is concluded that these two conditions differ in several respects and that thiamin deficiency might predispose certain areas of the brain to damage from alcohol.