Vitamin B1 Deficiency Linked to Risk of Brain Disorders: Study

Individuals who have severe vitamin B1 deficiency are likely to suffer brain disorders,  according to a study.

Wernicke encephalopathy is a fatal brain illness caused by exposure to toxic compounds and poor metabolism. Its symptoms include hallucination, disillusion, coma, impaired muscle control and movement, double vision and involuntary eye movements.  A new research by the Loyola University Medical Center discovered this neurological condition is common among people who have a deficiency of nutritional content in their body particularly vitamin B1.

If left untreated, it can progress to Korsakoff syndrome, which affects memory and memory-forming abilities, apathy and anxiety leading to death of patients. In most cases people with  Korsakoff syndrome (KS) fail to recollect events that occurred half an hour before.

The study warns nearly 80 percent of Wernicke encephalopathy are at risk of developing KS and less than 20 percent of them have chances of gaining back their mental health.

Thiamine or Vitamin B1 treatment  can be given intravenously and can minimize the risk of brain damage and death in patients of Wernicke encephalopathy.

"Particularly in those who suffer from alcoholism or AIDS, the diagnosis is missed on clinical examination in 75 to 80 per cent of cases. In the absence of treatment, deficiency can lead to irreversible brain damage and death with an estimated mortality of 20 per cent," write the authors in the study, reports the Business Standard.

More information is available online in the journal Scientific American Medicine.