(a.k.a. '''Korsakoff's psychosis''', '''amnesic-confabulatory syndrome'''), is a continuum of
Wernicke's Encephalopathy , though a recognised episode of Wernicke's is not always obvious.
Individuals diagnosed with Korsakoff's syndrome usually have symptoms of severe
Anterograde and
Retrograde Amnesia , as well as
Confabulation . The syndrome is named for
Sergei Korsakoff , the neuropsychiatrist who popularized it.
These symptoms are caused by damage to
Mammillary Bodies and other
Brain regions due to deficiency of
Thiamine (
Vitamin B 1). This is most often caused by chronic
Alcoholism , though other conditions including severe
Malnutrition have been known to cause it. When
Wernicke's Encephalopathy accompanies Korsakoff's syndrome, the combined syndrome is called the
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome .
Pathologically , there is
Neuronal Loss ,
Gliosis , and
Hemorrhage in mammillary bodies. Damage to the dorsomedial nucleus of the
Thalamus is also associated with this disorder.
Intravenous (IV) or
Intramuscular (IM) injection of thiamine is used to treat this condition, though recovery is slow and often incomplete.
A famous case study is recounted by
Oliver Sacks in "The Lost Mariner", which can be found in ''
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat ''.
