Can thiamine substitution restore cognitive function in alcohol use disorder?

Abstract

While clinical consequences of thiamine deficiency in alcohol use disorder (AUD) are severe, evidence-based recommendations on dosage, type of administration and duration of thiamine substitution (TS), and its' target levels remain sparse. This study aimed to compare the effect of two best practice TS regimens on thiamine blood levels (i.e. thiamine pyrophosphate, TPP) and cognitive function. In 50 patients undergoing in-patient alcohol-withdrawal treatment, TPP levels were determined at baseline and end of weeks 1, 2 and 8 following administration of oral TS (3 × 100mg/day for 7days followed by 1 × 100mg/day thereafter) either with or without preceding intravenous TS (3 × 100mg/day for 5days). An extensive psychiatric assessment was conducted at baseline, including an evaluation of AUD severity and depressive symptoms. Additionally, cognitive function and depressive symptoms were repeatedly evaluated. Relevant increases (mean increase by 100.2nmol/l [CI 76.5-123.8], P < 0.001) in peripheral blood TPP levels were observed in all patients at the end of weeks 1 and 2. Furthermore, no relevant difference between the intravenous and the oral group was found (average difference between increases: 2.3nmol/l, P = 0.912). Importantly, an association between the 'extent of the response' to TS and the performance in a memory task was revealed in secondary analyses. TS was associated with improving cognitive function in patients with AUD, independently of the substitution regime. Thus, in clinical practice, oral TS might be a sufficient but obligatory medication to prevent cognitive decline in AUD in the absence of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.