Syndromes and stars
Τετάρτη 7 Απριλίου 2010
Υπάρχουν πολλά ενδιαφέροντα πράγματα που μπορεί κανείς να βρει στο Ίντερνετ. Τα πιο πολλά άχρηστα: Ηλίθιες εικόνες, άγευστα άρθρα, λάθος πληροφορίες, λάθος τραγούδια, λάθος μηνύματα, αστρολογικές προβλέψεις, συμπλέκοντες αστερισμοί, αστέρια χωρίς ονόματα, αστέρια με ονόματα, αστερίες. Εγώ απόψε έψαξα για σύνδρομα:
Korsakoff's syndrome (Korsakoff's psychosis, amnesic-confabulatory syndrome; also spelled "Korsakov's Syndrome"), is a brain disorder caused by the lack of thiamine (vitamin B1) in the brain. The syndrome is named after Sergei Korsakoff, the neuropsychiatrist who popularized the theory.
Symptoms
There are six major symptoms of Korsakoff's syndrome:
1.anterograde amnesia and
2.retrograde amnesia, severe memory loss
3.confabulation, that is, invented memories which are then taken as true due to gaps in memory sometimes associated with blackouts
4.meager content in conversation
5.lack of insight
6.apathy - the patients lose interest in things quickly and generally appear indifferent to change.
These symptoms are caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), which is thought to cause damage to the medial thalamus and possibly to the mammillary bodies of the hypothalamus as well as generalized cerebral atrophy.
Korsakoff's involves neuronal loss, that is, damage to neurons; gliosis which is a result of damage to supporting cells of the central nervous system; and hemorrhage or bleeding in mammillary bodies. Damage to the dorsomedial nucleus or anterior group of the thalamus (limbic-specific nuclei) is also associated with this disorder.
Signs
Treatment
It was once assumed that anyone suffering from Korsakoff's syndrome would eventually need full time care. This is still often the case, but rehabilitation can help regaining some, often limited, level of independence. Treatment involves the replacement or supplementation of thiamine by intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) injection, together with proper nutrition and hydration. However, the amnesia and brain damage caused by the disease does not always respond to thiamine replacement therapy. In some cases, drug therapy is recommended. If treatment is successful, improvement will become apparent within two years although recovery is slow and often incomplete.
Causes
Conditions resulting in the vitamin deficiency and its effects include chronic alcoholism, and severe malnutrition. Alcoholism is often an indicator of poor nutrition, which in addition to inflammation of the stomach lining, causes thiamine deficiency. Other causes include dietary deficiencies, prolonged vomiting, eating disorders, or the effects of chemotherapy.
Case studies
A famous case study is recounted by Oliver Sacks in "The Lost Mariner" and "A Matter of Identity", which can be found in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Other cases include German entertainer Harald Juhnke, artist Charles Blackman, and entertainer Graham Kennedy.
Korsakoff's syndrome (Korsakoff's psychosis, amnesic-confabulatory syndrome; also spelled "Korsakov's Syndrome"), is a brain disorder caused by the lack of thiamine (vitamin B1) in the brain. The syndrome is named after Sergei Korsakoff, the neuropsychiatrist who popularized the theory.
Symptoms
There are six major symptoms of Korsakoff's syndrome:
1.anterograde amnesia and
2.retrograde amnesia, severe memory loss
3.confabulation, that is, invented memories which are then taken as true due to gaps in memory sometimes associated with blackouts
4.meager content in conversation
5.lack of insight
6.apathy - the patients lose interest in things quickly and generally appear indifferent to change.
These symptoms are caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), which is thought to cause damage to the medial thalamus and possibly to the mammillary bodies of the hypothalamus as well as generalized cerebral atrophy.
Korsakoff's involves neuronal loss, that is, damage to neurons; gliosis which is a result of damage to supporting cells of the central nervous system; and hemorrhage or bleeding in mammillary bodies. Damage to the dorsomedial nucleus or anterior group of the thalamus (limbic-specific nuclei) is also associated with this disorder.
Signs
- Apathy
- Ataxia
- Coma
- Confabulation
- Paralysis of muscles controlling the eye
- Retrograde and anterograde amnesia
- Tremor
- Lack of insight to the condition
Treatment
It was once assumed that anyone suffering from Korsakoff's syndrome would eventually need full time care. This is still often the case, but rehabilitation can help regaining some, often limited, level of independence. Treatment involves the replacement or supplementation of thiamine by intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) injection, together with proper nutrition and hydration. However, the amnesia and brain damage caused by the disease does not always respond to thiamine replacement therapy. In some cases, drug therapy is recommended. If treatment is successful, improvement will become apparent within two years although recovery is slow and often incomplete.
Causes
Conditions resulting in the vitamin deficiency and its effects include chronic alcoholism, and severe malnutrition. Alcoholism is often an indicator of poor nutrition, which in addition to inflammation of the stomach lining, causes thiamine deficiency. Other causes include dietary deficiencies, prolonged vomiting, eating disorders, or the effects of chemotherapy.
Case studies
A famous case study is recounted by Oliver Sacks in "The Lost Mariner" and "A Matter of Identity", which can be found in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Other cases include German entertainer Harald Juhnke, artist Charles Blackman, and entertainer Graham Kennedy.
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on Τετάρτη 7 Απριλίου 2010 at 12:04 π.μ..
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