Which syndrome is associated with chronic alcoholism and thiamine deficiency?

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a neurological condition that arises from chronic alcoholism, particularly associated with thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. Chronic alcohol consumption leads to poor nutritional intake and impeded absorption of thiamine, which is vital for glucose metabolism and normal neurological function.

The syndrome is characterized by two distinct phases: Wernicke's encephalopathy, which includes symptoms such as confusion, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia (eye movement disorders), followed by Korsakoff's psychosis, marked by severe memory disturbances and confabulation. This progression illustrates the critical role of thiamine in maintaining cognitive and physical health in individuals with alcohol use disorders.

While alcoholic encephalopathy reflects a more general alteration in mental state due to alcohol itself, including acute confusional states, and delirium tremens represents severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms with potential for autonomic instability, they do not specifically highlight the thiamine deficiency aspect. Chronic Intoxication Hypersensitivity is also not a recognized syndrome associated with thiamine deficiency. Therefore, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is distinctively linked to thiamine deficiency caused by chronic alcoholism and embodies the specific neurological dysfunctions associated with it.