Mario Farone
Exploratory Paper
A Greater Understanding of Dementia as Brought
About by Alcoholism
Dementia: Perhaps one of the worst plagues to be cast upon a family. Imagine the
frustration and depression a family would face seeing a love one virtually slip away, slowly
forgetting their past piece by piece; the names of relatives, children, spouses, even cherished
memories, all slowly becoming erased. Imagine witnessing the cognitive decline of someone you
truly care about and knowing you were absolutely powerless, knowing you cannot do anything to
help them escape their growing amnesia, and hoping that you may never have to tell them your
name.
Luckily, dementia is rarely seen in the younger population and mostly impinges upon the
older generations. This is usually the case. However, there exists a derivative from this illness
which exhibits the same damaging effects but can materialize at a much younger age. Alcoholic
Dementia is a form of dementia that is known to surface after a long period of moderate to heavy
alcohol consumption and causes memory loss and neurological damage. This type of dementia is
as, if not more damaging as normal dementia, and is a much larger threat to the younger
generation. With underage drinking a great concern throughout over the nation, teenagers are
only getting a head start in the race to this degenerative disorder.
Dementia has been present in history since the time of the Romans, although not formally
diagnosed and named. The term dementia came into common usage from the 18th Century when
it had both clinical and legal implications. As time progressed, “Dementia” implied a lack of
aptitude and an inability to manage one's own interactions. These symptoms were often regarded
to formally as dementia after the nineteenth century, but the term was mainly used to describe
the loss of mental functionality after brain damage. It was not until 1907 that Alois Alzheimer
identified the senile damages and neurofibrillary tangles that are common to the brains of people
with Alzheimer's type dementia1. Dementia exists as a non-specific illness syndrome, meaning it
encompasses a list of symptoms which include memory, attention, langue, and problem solving
deficiencies. Before it can be formally diagnosed, these symptoms must exist over a period of at
least 6 months. Over the past twenty or so years, information regarding dementia has become
better understood, thereby expanding on the definition. The main identifying factor stands as
intellectual and cognitive deficiencies and deteriorating memory involving motor skills, langue
problems, and recognizing faces that are familiar2. Naturally, considering alcoholic dementia is
nearly identical to regular dementia, these symptoms would be present.
Currently, alcoholic dementia is also commonly known as "Wernicke-Korsakoff
Syndrome." WKS is caused by a deficiency in the B vitamin thiamine. Thiamine plays a role in
metabolizing glucose to produce energy for the brain. It is because of this understanding that
excessive consumption of alcohol is often attributed to the onset of WKS. WKS is not only
found, or assumed, as the main reason for the onset of dementia in a large amount of case studies
of individuals whom have dementia, but also offers a large number of deaths associated with the
syndrome as well. Based on clinical research studies, between 22% to 29% of individuals with
dementia were found to be heavy drinkers or alcoholics and 9% to 23% of elderly alcoholics in
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alcoholism treatment were found to also have dementia. An estimated 1.1 to 2.3 million older
Americans have problems with alcohol3. These statistics should really stress the importance and
severity of alcoholic dementia. Such serious and largely encompassing statistics should not be
looked over or cast out as an improbability. There exist heavy consequences for drinking large
quantities of alcohol over an extended period of time, consequences that even branch past the
dreaded "beer-belly."
Alcoholic dementia has many symptoms that mostly exist as mental deteriorations.
Although, there seems to be similar deficiencies in a physical manor that most suffers of
alcoholic dementia are subjected to. The first and possibly most impactful symptom is the
deterioration of muscle control. Dementia patients often cannot walk without the support of a
walker or some other form of movement aid. From this point, the effects only worsen over time.
At the very end of the condition, a person is bed-bound, unable to move around under his/her
own strength. A notable, crushing symptom often seen in the final stages is the inability for the
sufferer to summon enough muscle movement even to smile. A loss of appetite begins and a
notable weight change is seen, followed, inevitably, by the inability to swallow. These,
combined with the major metaphysical symptoms mentioned earlier on in the reading make
Alcoholic dementia a serious and devastating condition to all that it affects. Also, as mentioned
earlier, dementia shares a large portion of its symptoms with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s
disease is a very common cause of dementia, and it is more common in elderly. Since it is a
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common cause of dementia, the term "Alzheimer’s disease" is interchangeably used to describe
dementia4.
Alcoholic dementia is a severe and serious condition that is not to be taken lightly. Being
contained under the false illusion that youth protects against all forms of dementia is an end
result of ignorance which needs to be stopped before it is too late. Drinking heavily at a young
age will only accelerate brain death if done irresponsibly. Irresponsibility could soon lead to
irreversibility if WKS develops in a young adult.
One may think they are not hurting anyone but themselves if they choose to engage in
binge drinking, however, the truth of the matter is it affects everyone you know. The saying,
"ignorance is bliss," might never be more applicable than it is here. While your family and
friends watch someone they care for deeply slowly become a forgetful shell of the person they
once knew and accepted, your mind slowly abandons all ties and relationships making you
incapable of feeling any sort of empathy or compassion towards these people whom call
themselves your family. They watch as your personality deteriorates and you slip through their
fingers in which would probably be one of the hardest things to come to terms with. This
reasoning alone should deter anyone from provoking WKS to take a particular interest to their
mind at such a young age by drinking heavily. Not only as young adults, but well on into life as
well.
Although many major strides have been made in the understanding of Alcoholic
dementia, dementia, and WKS have been made in the past twenty years, little can be done to
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prevent or treat the condition once it takes hold of someone. The most effective form of
treatment when dealing with dementia is care giving. Providing emotional support and
information to the sufferer is about all that exists today and all that will exist for a while. "We're
far from understanding all the components and workings of the human brain." Says Dr. Mant.
"Before we're able to conjure possible treatments of dementia, we must first familiarize ourselves
entirely with the brain and quite frankly, we've only scratched the surface." Because the brain is
such a delicate organ, research is hard to acquire, studies are hard to perform, and a result, the
future for dementia suffers seems a bit bleak at the moment. However, as time progresses, more
information will be farmed on the brain and its functionality. At that time, which exists
somewhere in the near future, research on dementia will grow more extensive and maybe even a
cure will be developed. All we can hope for now as a generation is that great strides are made in
the understanding of our brains and its effects on the body. To cure, one first must understand.
Alcoholic dementia's progression on the human psyche should be a fairly easy one to
grasp. The more alcohol consumed, the greater the acceleration of the condition. Or is that not
necessarily true? Extreme alcohol consumption often brings about certain deficiencies of vitamin
B12, folate or niacin. These are key components that progress the rate of dementia rather quickly.
The major thing to understand when dealing with alcoholic dementia is that it is not so much the
amount of which you consume, but rather over what period of time you consume it. Obviously
there exists some correlation between the two possible causes. If you were to drink moderate
amounts of alcohol over a long period of time, it would be just as detrimental as drinking heavily
for a shorter amount of time. The deterioration of brain cells is the key in triggering an early
onset of dementia. However, frequency is necessary for the condition to take hold5. Once
someone has pushed alcohol consumption to an utmost extreme and the damage done cannot be
reversed, the regular progression of dementia sets it. Symptoms mentioned above begin to
become more severe. Memory loss becomes more extreme, ranging from not remembering what
day of the week it is to not remembering what apartment room number you live in or which way
it is to work. Muscles slowly become unusable, rendering the sufferer practically immobile
towards the later portion of the condition. Basic cognitive problems baffle the inflicted as they
make their slow dissention into virtual brain death. Most cases of dementia end with a major
organ failure which results in death. Pain medication is distributed to make the patient as
comfortable as possible. From the first diagnoses of alcoholic dementia, a person is given
anywhere from 5-14 years to live, depending on the progression of the condition and its severity.
While the purpose of this paper is better inform you on dementia itself and how it can be
brought upon by alcoholism, please do not think twice in noting these words as instructive or
precautionary. While a fear of dementia at such a young age seems extremely irrational, the
prevention from the disorder in the future is determined daily. The choices we make each day
can and will affect us later in life. It cannot be stressed enough, the severity of the choices we
make day to day. Let this paper serve as the binoculars that brings those consequences into clear
view, letting you see the results of these decisions as if they were days away. If you allow
yourself to do so, the decisions we on a daily basis will encompass all positive and negative
outcomes, not just ones that subsist immediately.
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References
Alcoholic dementia often overlooked. (n.d.). Addiction Alternatives Information - drug addiction
help - Treatment for Alcoholism. Retrieved December 8, 2010, from
http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/3554/1/Alcoholic-dementia-oftenoverlooked/Page1.html
Dementia Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
(n.d.). National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Retrieved
December 8, 2010, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/dementia.htm
Info about Dementia. (n.d.). University of Missouri - St. Louis Home. Retrieved December 8,
2010, from http://www.umsl.edu/~homecare/dementia.htm
Oxford Journals | Medicine | Age and Ageing. (n.d.). Oxford Journals | Medicine | Age and
Ageing. Retrieved December 8, 2010, from http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org