Alcoholic Dementia: Definition, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Drinking alcohol affects problem-solving, decision-making, and memory, hindering the ability to function properly. The results will help determine whether you or your https://ecosoberhouse.com/ loved one has AUD, dementia, or both. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. ARD is a progressive illness, which means its symptoms often happen in stages and continue to get worse—especially if left untreated.

Clinical diagnoses

• Research indicates a strong link between heavy drinking and increased risk of cognitive decline.
• If caught early enough, patients with the more general type of ARD can significantly improve their condition by quitting alcohol and eating a balanced diet.
• The study had some limitations, particularly the small dataset for alcohol use disorder.

People may start to forget family members and close friends, and may find it harder to communicate. These reviews were included in the World Alzheimer’s Report 2014 and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance. Each combined multiple research studies to reach a consensus on alcohol consumption and the development of dementia. If you regularly drink much more than this, you are increasing your risk of damage to your brain and other organs, and so increasing your risk of dementia. Current NHS guidelines state that both men and women should limit their intake to 14 units a week.

Reversing Damage Through Abstinence

A professional who has experience of supporting people with alcohol-related ‘dementia’ should be involved in the person’s care. The type of support they get will depend on the person’s individual situation and what they need. People with alcohol-related ‘dementia’ tend to be younger and physically more active than most people who have other types of dementia.

• Alcohol misuse and alcohol-related harms are also increasing among this population, and at a faster rate for women than men.
• Medical treatment and getting treated for alcohol addiction may help prevent the condition from getting worse.
• A person may consider joining support groups or attending counseling or therapy if alcohol use is impairing their quality of life in the short and long term.
• “Obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol all increase the risk for heart attacks, strokes and small stroke dementia,” she said.
• The resulting damage can cause a range of severe symptoms, including cognitive decline, inability to walk, slurred speech and muscle spasms.

How Alcohol Addiction Is Like an Abusive Relationship

This puts older adults at higher risk for falls, car crashes, and other injuries that may result from drinking. Research suggests that women may be more susceptible than men to the adverse effects of alcohol. If you’re looking after a loved one with dementia, you may find they enjoy a glass of wine or a beer from time to time. You may think there’s no reason why they can’t have the occasional tipple. However, she enjoyed the occasional glass of wine with a meal but would never have more than one. She didn’t drink at home and only had wine when we went out to eat, which was usually once a week.

• These problems may lead some older adults to self-medicate with alcohol in an attempt to improve their sleep.
• There are a variety of different types, including Alzheimer’s as well as dementia related to alcohol use.
• Sometimes, nutritional supplementation can help prevent the progression of this type of dementia.
• The frontal lobes, responsible for decision-making and social behavior, are particularly vulnerable.
• The progression of ARBD is halted, and in some cases, even reversed with appropriate treatment.

• So if you do not currently drink alcohol, you should not start as a way to reduce dementia risk.
• All of the information gathered during the diagnostic process will also help them rule out other types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia.
• In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), it is referred to as alcohol-induced major neurocognitive disorder.

Table 1 presents details regarding the literature searches conducted in preparation for this review. Similarly, whereas the terms “Alzheimer’s” and “alcoholism” yielded 318 results, “Alzheimer’s” and “alcohol use disorder (AUD)” returned only 40 citations. The searches dementia and drinking alcohol also considered subtypes of dementia in addition to Alzheimer’s disease, such as alcohol-related WKS and vascular, frontotemporal, and Lewy body dementias. Searches regarding animal models (i.e., rat, mouse) were narrowed by pathological terms or relevant mechanisms (e.g., amyloid, neurofibrillary tangles, presenilin). Some studies have suggested that low to moderate alcohol use might actually reduce dementia risk, while others indicate there are no health benefits to drinking alcohol.

This makes alcohol-related dementia easy to hide for some people, and difficult to diagnose at times. Treatment typically involves the use of thiamine supplements in oral or injected forms. They may also need to live in assisted living housing if their symptoms are severe. In cases where they suspect Korsakoff syndrome, a doctor will likely recommend long-term use of thiamine, possibly combined with other vitamins alcoholism symptoms and magnesium. When a medical professional suspects alcohol dementia, some experts recommend the use of prophylactic thiamine administration. Korsakoff syndrome causes confabulation, memory loss, and gait abnormalities.