Probst R
HNO. 1983 Apr;31(4):123-7.
The Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is induced by thiamine deficiency. It occurs mainly in subjects with chronic alcoholism. It begins with an acute phase (Wernicke's encephalopathy) and changes to a chronic phase, which is characterized by a symptomatology varying from subclinical findings to a fully developed Korsakoff psychosis. We examined otoneurologically eight patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The examination included: clinical status, caloric stimulation, optokinetic nystagmus, pure tone audiogram (air- and bone conduction), speech audiogram, and brain-stem auditory evoked potentials. The typical findings of the chronic phase are: gaze nystagmus and reduced gain of the optokinetic nystagmus. In five of seven patients OK gain was reduced by more than two standard-deviations. The other examinations including brain-stem potentials did not reveal any specific findings. The symptomatology of the acute phase is well known: nystagmus (mostly lateral gaze nystagmus) and reduced by caloric responses. Early diagnosis of a Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is of great importance since its treatment is simple and efficient. The results of a thorough neuro-otologic examination are of considerable diagnostic value, particularly during the chronic phase of the disease.
韦尼克-科尔萨科夫综合征由硫胺缺乏引起。它主要发生在慢性酒精中毒患者中。该综合征始于急性期（韦尼克脑病），随后转变为慢性期，其症状从亚临床表现到完全发展的科尔萨科夫精神病不等。我们对八名韦尼克-科尔萨科夫综合征患者进行了耳神经学检查。检查项目包括：临床状况、冷热试验、视动性眼震、纯音听力图（气导和骨导）、言语听力图以及脑干听觉诱发电位。慢性期的典型表现为：凝视性眼震和视动性眼震增益降低。在七名患者中的五名中，视动性眼震增益降低超过两个标准差。包括脑干电位在内的其他检查未发现任何特异性表现。急性期的症状众所周知：眼震（主要为水平凝视性眼震）以及冷热试验反应减弱。韦尼克-科尔萨科夫综合征的早期诊断非常重要，因为其治疗简单且有效。全面的耳神经学检查结果具有相当大的诊断价值，尤其是在疾病的慢性期。
