Ann Rehabil Med.  2017 Feb;41(1):162-166. 10.5535/arm.2017.41.1.162.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome: A Case Report

• Chung SW
• Park SW
• Seo YJ
• Kim JH
• Lee CH
• Lim JY

• KMID: 2383692
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2017.41.1.162

Abstract

A 57-year-old man who was diagnosed with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome showed severe impairment of cognitive function and a craving for alcohol, even after sufficient supplementation with thiamine. After completing 10 sessions of 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) at 100% of the resting motor threshold over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dramatic improvement in cognitive function and a reduction in craving for alcohol were noted. This is the first case report of the efficacy of a high-frequency rTMS in the treatment of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Keyword

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome; Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

MeSH Terms

Cognition
Craving
Humans
Korsakoff Syndrome*
Middle Aged
Prefrontal Cortex
Thiamine
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation*
Thiamine

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery image shows no definite signal change in the mammillary bodies.

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  Fig. 2 Change of Korean version of Mini-Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE) scores induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).

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