Question

What are the behavior and neurological causes of Korsakoff's disease? What are the primary symptoms of Korsakoff's disease? How does it differ from the amnesic syndrome?

Answer 1

Korsakoff's disorder is an amnesic, neurological disorder caused by thiamine deficiency (vitamin B₁) in the brain, and is also often exacerbated by the effects of prolonged periods of alcohol consumption. Conditions that result in thiamine deficiency include chronic alcohol use and severe malnutrition. It is likely that alcohol use co-occurs with poor nutrition, which not only leads to inflammation of the stomach lining, but also causes thiamine deficiency.

Major symptoms of Korsakoff's disorder include anterograde amnesia, retrograde amnesia, amnesia of fixation, confabulation, minimal content in conversation, lack of insight, and apathy. It also involves neuronal loss, damage to supporting cells of the central nervous system, and hemorrhage. These alterations in physiological functioning is not a feature of amnesia syndrome.