Alcohol Related Dementia

Ladies in Versailles. Photo by Jez Timms.

Ladies in Versailles. Photo by Jez Timms.

Vivant Senior Living can provide memory care to residents with alcohol-related dementia. We've found that working with our residents' doctors to implement their care plans and providing a safe, healthy, alcohol-free environment will positively impact our residents' experience. 

Studies show that "up to 78% of individuals with diagnosed alcoholism demonstrate some degree of brain pathology" [1][2]. Other studies conclude that "the brain pathology of abusers of alcohol likely has two components: one of permanent change, the other transient" [3].

We are always pleased to hear that dementia can be transient. It means there is a chance that we can impact our residents' memory loss experience by providing a safe and healthy environment. 

Ridley notes some confounding factors that may play a role in alcohol-related dementia [1]:

  • Neurotoxicity

  • Thiamine deficiency

  • Nutritrional deficiencies

  • Head injury

  • Psychiatric and other substance abuse co-morbidities

  • Vascular risk factors

Vivant Senior Living can work with our residents' primary care providers to implement care plans to support thiamine and nutritional needs, reduce head injury risk, and reduce psychiatric and other substance abuse, including antipsychotic drugs. 

Here is a helpful list of abbreviations as you continue your journey into ARD research:

  • ARBD: alcohol-related brain damage

  • ARD: alcohol-related dementia

  • KS: Korsakoff syndrome (Read our blog post about Korsakoff syndrome.)

  • WE: Wernicke's encephalopathy

  • WKS: Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

1. Ridley, N.J., Draper, B. & Withall, A. Alcohol-related dementia: an update of the evidence. Alz Res Therapy 5, 3 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/alzrt157

2. Goldstein G, Shelly C: Neuropsychological investigation of brain lesion localization in alcoholism. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1980, 126: 731-743. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-3632-7_54

3. Harper C: The neuropathology of alcohol-related brain damage. Alcohol Alcohol. 2009, 44: 136-140. https://doi.org/10.1093%2Falcalc%2Fagn102

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