Memantine Usage for Management of Korsakoff Syndrome in the Setting of Chronic Alcohol Use and Unspecified Eating Disorder

Division

West Florida

Hospital

Medical Center of Trinity

Document Type

Case Report

Publication Date

3-12-2021

Keywords

wernicke-korsakoff syndrome, memantine, nmda receptor antagonist, quetapine

Disciplines

Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms | Internal Medicine | Neurology | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms | Psychiatry

Abstract

Korsakoff syndrome is a neuropsychiatric condition frequently seen as a progression of Wernicke’s encephalopathy and is often associated with long-term alcohol abuse. It is characterized by further cognitive impairments, such as indiscriminate anterograde and retrograde amnesia, in addition to executive function deficits. As the syndrome is a result of severe thiamine deficiency, its management primarily focuses on nutritional replenishment and electrolyte maintenance. In recent years, a few published reports have detailed the off-label use of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs for Alzheimer’s in an attempt to treat neurocognitive deficits associated with Korsakoff patients. In this particular case, we note subjective improvement in cognition after initiating memantine, an N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist.

Publisher or Conference

Cureus

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