NREMT Paramedic Practice

Which psychotic condition is often seen with Wernicke's syndrome?

1. Schizophrenia

2. Korsakoff's psychosis

3. Bipolar disorder

4. Major depression

The correct answer is: Korsakoff's psychosis

Wernicke's syndrome is a neurological condition that is primarily associated with thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, often seen in individuals with chronic alcoholism. One of the significant complications of Wernicke's syndrome is Korsakoff's psychosis, which frequently develops as a progression of the acute symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy. Korsakoff's psychosis involves memory disturbances, confabulation, and disorientation, which stem from damage to areas of the brain involved in memory processing due to the lack of thiamine. The close relationship between these two conditions makes Korsakoff's psychosis the correct answer. In contrast, while schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression are serious mental health conditions, they do not have a direct connection to Wernicke's syndrome. Schizophrenia is characterized by a range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dysfunctions but is not caused by thiamine deficiency. Both bipolar disorder and major depression are mood disorders that also do not relate to the nutritional deficiencies characteristic of Wernicke's syndrome. Thus, recognizing the link between Wernicke's syndrome and Korsakoff's psychosis is important in understanding the progression and implications of thiamine deficiency on mental health