Two common health problems occurring with alcoholism are vitamin deficiency and liver disease, both of which can result in neurological disorders. As mentioned previously, prolonged drinking with improper diet and associated malnutrition can lead to thiamine deficiency, a possible factor in KS-related brain damage. Several investigators have stressed the idea that damage in the diencephalon of KS patients is caused by thiamine deficiency, whereas cortical abnormalities, most notably in the frontal lobes, are caused by alcohol neurotoxicity or other conditions frequently associated with alcoholism (e.g., liver disease or head trauma).
