Most people are not diagnosed quickly or correctly. If you suspect someone is showing symptoms of KS, it should be treated as a medical emergency. Diagnostic procedures can include:

Blood work to determine thiamine level, rule out alcohol or other substance intoxication, check other health markers. It is important to note that it is possible that thiamine is in the blood, but not crossing the blood brain barrier into the brain tissue, so a normal thiamine blood level should not be used to rule out the diagnosis.

Imaging studies to rule out injury, tumors, and to see if lesions and/or atrophy are present. Studies estimate that visual evidence of KS is discovered in about half of patients.

Cognitive evaluation can help a healthcare professional screen for possible brain damage. While some will do a simple Mental Status Exam, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a more accurate screening tool. This may be followed up with more extensive psychological testing.

Clinical interview can help a healthcare professional determine if risk factors for KS are present. Due to confabulation, many with KS report inaccurate information during these interviews, often leading the interviewer to believe that there are few to no risk factors and that the person is functioning adequately.