Therapeutic advances in neurological disorders
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Ther Adv Neurol Disord · Jan 2020
Case ReportsWernicke-Korsakoff syndrome associated with mtDNA disease.
Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) are well-known disorders caused by thiamine deficiency. In addition to the classical concept of these diseases, some literature data suggest a connection between mitochondrial dysfunction and WE/WKS. Psychotic disorders and WKS seem to run in families, as the deficiency of the oxidative phosphorylation can be a trigger factor in psychotic events and WE/WKS as well. We present a patient harbouring the m.A3243G mtDNA mutation with the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of WKS who developed schizophrenia with predominantly negative symptoms some years later. ⋯ We assume that patients with a mitochondrial disorder might be prone to develop WE/WKS and therefore need tailored supportive therapy during metabolic crisis as well as symptom-based personalized antipsychotic treatment.