korsakoff's syndrome
Noun: A form of amnesia and dementia, often associated with severe, chronic alcoholism and thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. It is characterized by profound memory loss, particularly for recent events, while long-term memory may remain relatively intact. Confabulation (the production of fabricated or distorted memories without the intent to deceive) is also a common feature.
This term is used in medical, psychiatric, and neurological contexts to describe a specific clinical condition. It is typically used as a proper noun.
Examples: * The patient's persistent memory gaps and confabulation led to a diagnosis of Korsakoff's syndrome. * Korsakoff's syndrome is often preceded by an acute episode of Wernicke's encephalopathy. * Chronic alcohol abuse is the most common cause of Korsakoff's syndrome.
- The syndrome is frequently discussed in relation to its most common cause, leading to the combined term Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
- It is used to describe a specific neuropsychiatric profile, emphasizing the disconnect between impaired short-term memory formation and preserved remote memory.
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: The full name for the disorder, encompassing both the acute phase (Wernicke's encephalopathy) and the chronic phase (Korsakoff's syndrome).
- Amnestic syndrome: A broader category of disorders characterized by memory impairment, of which Korsakoff's syndrome is a specific type.
- Alcohol-related dementia: A wider term that may include the cognitive deficits seen in Korsakoff's syndrome.
- Korsakoff's psychosis (an older term)
- Amnestic-confabulatory syndrome
The definition refers specifically to the chronic, long-term memory disorder. It is distinct from, but intimately related to, Wernicke's encephalopathy, which is the acute, life-threatening neurological phase often caused by the same thiamine deficiency.
- dementia observed during the last stages of severe chronic alcoholism; involves loss of memory for recent events although long term memory is intact