Alcohol abuse may result in wernicke-korsakoff syndrome, which is characterized by the inability to learn from experience and custodial care in some cases. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is a type of brain disorder and a combination of two separate conditions (Wernicke’s disease and Korsakoff syndrome) that occurs at the same time. Alcoholism is the most common cause of WKS. Other causes include lack of vitamin B-1, or thiamine.