FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vitamin B-1 May Protect Alcoholics from Dementia,
SDSU Research IndicatesCONTACT: Renee Hix, (619) 594-5204, Rhix@mail.sdsu.edu
SAN DIEGO, Monday, June 12, 2000 - Heavy alcohol consumption - when combined with a vitamin B-1 (thiamine) deficiency - can have serious effects on the brain and eventually, dementia, according to Dr. Philip Langlais, professor of behavioral neurobiology at San Diego State University.
In the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, Langlais and a team of investigators report on experiments, which showed that heavy amounts of alcohol and thiamine deficiency (TD) together impair learning, memory, and muscle and nerve function. Such symptoms can arise in humans whose alcohol habits have caused a TD.
The consumption of alcohol produces a deficiency of thiamine and in human alcoholics, thiamine status is dependent upon dietary intake, reported Langlais. Binge drinkers don't eat for extended periods of time causing them to experience TD.
"What we found was that alcohol abuse and TD do interact synergistically to produce more severe cognitive and reference memory deficits than either alcohol abuse or TD alone, however working memory - used to keep unique information such as a telephone number you just looked up in the directory - was not affected with the combination of alcohol abuse and TD," said Langlais. "Our findings suggest that maintaining a certain level of thiamine is needed to prevent serious cognitive impairments in individuals consuming regular quantities of alcohol."
Two other pieces of evidence suggest that thiamine supplementation may help protect against dementia and brain damage in chronic alcoholics, said Langlais. The first is an Australian study, which demonstrates that since the government mandated thiamine supplementation of certain foods and the promotion of thiamine spread, the incidents of Wernicke-Koraskoff Syndrome (WKS) have declined dramatically. The second is provided by studies conducted by Wenisch and colleagues in which mega-doses of thiamine reduced damage to the hippocamus (a brain structure implicated in memory) following long-term chronic consumption of alcohol.
"The bottom line is that our study suggests that combining poor dietary thiamine intake with moderate amounts of alcohol produces more severe learning and cognitive problems than either treatment alone," said Langlais.
Langlais also plans to examine the effects of various doses of thiamine on learning and memory impairments produced by both binge drinking and chronic high levels of alcohol in rats.
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, it has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 76 areas, master's degrees in 59 areas and doctorates in 13. SDSU's more than 30,000 students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with professors and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, log onto www.sdsu.edu.
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