Samenvatting

ABSTRACT: Introduction:
The literature shows that Korsakoff’s syndrome is associated with a wide range of severe comorbid somatic and psychiatric health problems that lead to care needs in several domains of functioning.
Aim: To provide a comprehensive overview of Korsakoff patients’ health conditions and related care needs. Method: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched MedLine, PsycInfo, Cochrane
Library and CINAHL up to January 2019. After applying our inclusion criteria, two reviewers independently selected the studies, extracted the data, and assessed methodological quality.
Results: Twelve articles were included. The commonest somatic comorbid conditions were liver disease, cardiovascular disease, COPD and diabetes mellitus. The commonest psychiatric comorbid conditions were mood disorder, personality disorder and psychotic disorder. Anxiety, aggressive/agitated behaviour, depressive symptoms and care needs in social functioning and (instrumental) activities of daily living were also very commonly reported. Discussion: In patients with Korsakoff's syndrome, somatic and psychiatric comorbid conditions co-occur with behavioural and functional problems. They are compounded by
patients’ poor self-awareness regarding their health status and functioning. Adequate responses to their care needs require high-quality integrated care.