title: Prevalence and severity of behavioural symptoms in patients with Korsakoff syndrome and other alcohol-related cognitive disorders: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Experiences from clinical practice suggest that behavioural symptoms in patients with Korsakoff syndrome (KS) are a frequent problem. Knowledge about behavioural symptoms is important in understanding and managing these symptoms. The aim of this study is to review the prevalence and severity of behavioural symptoms in KS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relevant articles were identified by searching Medline (PubMed), PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL up to 4 June 2014. Two reviewers independently selected the studies, extracted their baseline data and assessed methodological quality using a standardized checklist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A diversity of diagnoses was used indicating that KS and other alcohol-related cognitive disorders and terms were used interchangeably. None of the studies were primarily designed to estimate the prevalence or severity of behavioural symptoms in patients with KS. Most studies had serious methodological limitations. The reported prevalence estimates of behavioural symptoms in the included studies varied strongly. Most prevalent were depressive symptoms and disorders (2-50%, median 27%) and agitation and aggression (10-54%, median 27%). None of the reported, mean severity estimates met pathological thresholds. The highest severity estimates were found for apathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good quality studies on behavioural symptoms in patients with KS are lacking. Observational research designed to provide reliable estimates of the prevalence and severity of behavioural symptoms in patients with KS is needed. This could improve understanding and managing these symptoms and help care staff to better support the needs of this specific patient group. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Nursing Home Markenhof, Atlant Care Group, Beekbergen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ineke J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Gerridzen
authors.affiliation: Nursing Home Markenhof, Atlant Care Group, Beekbergen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wiltine G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Moerman-van den Brink
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marja F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Depla
authors.affiliation: Nursing Home Markenhof, Atlant Care Group, Beekbergen, The Netherlands.|HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Els M L
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Verschuur
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ruth B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Veenhuizen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van der Wouden
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cees M P M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hertogh
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Karlijn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Joling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D001007:Anxiety; D057565:Apathy; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020915:Korsakoff Syndrome / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Korsakoff syndrome; alcohol-related cognitive disorders; behavioural symptoms