Summary: The human body only has enough thiamine to last 2-3 weeks, so what happens when we run out? In this BrainWaves brief, we review the consequences of acute thiamine deficiency on the nervous system. BrainWaves podcasts and online content are intended for medical education only and should not be used to guide medical decision making in routine clinical practice. Any cases discussed in this episode are fictional and do not contain any patient health identifying information. The content in this episode was approved and vetted by Michael Rubenstein. REFERENCES 1. Caine D, Halliday GM, Kril JJ and Harper CG. Operational criteria for the classification of chronic alcoholics: identification of Wernicke's encephalopathy. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 1997;62:51-60. 2. Sechi G and Serra A. Wernicke's encephalopathy: new clinical settings and recent advances in diagnosis and management. The Lancet Neurology. 2007;6:442-55. 3. Zuccoli G and Pipitone N. Neuroimaging findings in acute Wernicke's encephalopathy: review of the literature. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2009;192:501-8. 4. Galvin R, Brathen G, Ivashynka A, Hillbom M, Tanasescu R, Leone MA and Efns. EFNS guidelines for diagnosis, therapy and prevention of Wernicke encephalopathy. European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies. 2010;17:1408-18.
