Alcohol-Related Dementia: Causes, Risks & Symptoms

Alcohol-related dementia may afflict people who consume a high volume of alcohol on a regular basis, resulting in brain injury. Alcohol can be a direct cause of dementia by acting as a neurotoxin that affects the central nervous system, or it can be an indirect cause by contributing to malnutrition and vitamin deficiency.

Significance

• Excessive alcohol consumption may trigger the neurological disorder known as dementia by affecting the brain's ability to perform mental tasks such as learning, remembering and thinking.

Types

• There are different forms of alcohol-related dementia, the most common being Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This is a consequence of a thiamine deficiency directly linked to alcohol abuse.

Considerations

• When excessive alcohol consumption causes liver damage and vitamin deficiency, it can ultimately lead to brain shrinkage and damage.

Misconceptions

• Consuming alcohol is not always harmful to the body. Moderate levels of intake can have a positive effect due to the antioxidants that are present in some alcoholic beverages.

Prevention/Solution

• The only way to prevent alcohol-related dementia is to limit the intake of alcoholic beverages. The condition may be reversed, in some cases, if drinking is stopped, vitamin deficiencies are remedied and a healthy diet is maintained.