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Wernicke’s encephalopathy

a neurological disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamine). The principal symptoms are confusion, oculomotor abnormalities (gaze palsy and nystagmus), and ataxia. The disorder is most frequently associated with chronic alcoholism but is also found in cases of pernicious anemia, gastric cancer, and malnutrition. These symptoms are likely to resolve with thiamine treatment, although most individuals then develop severe retrograde and anterograde amnesia as well as impairment in other areas of cognitive functioning, including executive functions (see Korsakoff’s syndrome). Also called cerebral beriberi; Wernicke’s disease. [first described in 1881 by Karl Wernicke]

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Psychology term of the day

December 19th 2024

shared medical appointment model

shared medical appointment model

an approach to health care in which a group of patients with a similar medical condition meet with a physician for an extended period of time, usually more than an hour, to discuss aspects of their common condition, including its medical management (e.g., prescriptions), and potentially to address any mental health considerations that it might present. Typically, a behaviorist (e.g., a psychologist or social worker), a nurse or physician’s assistant, a scheduler, and a documentation specialist also are in attendance. This model tends to be used for follow-up care rather than for new patient intakes.