polyneuritic psychosis
Noun: A specific neurological and psychiatric syndrome, historically termed polyneuritic psychosis, characterized by dementia that occurs in the final stages of severe, chronic alcoholism. Its core feature is a profound loss of memory for recent events while long-term memory remains relatively preserved.
This term is a historical medical diagnosis. In modern clinical practice, this condition is more accurately and commonly referred to as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or Korsakoff's psychosis. The term "polyneuritic" refers to the frequent co-occurrence of peripheral nerve inflammation (polyneuritis).
- The patient's confusion and inability to recall the day's events, contrasted with clear memories of his youth, led the physician to diagnose polyneuritic psychosis.
- Polyneuritic psychosis is a severe consequence of thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency, often stemming from alcoholism.
- In the early 20th century, medical texts described the triad of symptoms for polyneuritic psychosis: confabulation, memory loss, and polyneuritis.
- The term is primarily used in a historical or specific academic context when discussing the evolution of psychiatric diagnoses.
- It is closely associated with the work of neuropsychiatrist Sergei Korsakoff, who described the amnestic-confabulatory syndrome.
- Korsakoff's syndrome / Korsakoff's psychosis: The modern, more precise term for the chronic, amnestic-confabulatory phase of the condition.
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: The full syndrome encompassing both the acute phase (Wernicke's encephalopathy) and the chronic psychotic phase (Korsakoff's psychosis).
- Alcohol-induced amnestic disorder: A descriptive term used in some diagnostic frameworks.
- Korsakoff's psychosis
- Alcoholic dementia (in a specific, historical context)
- Amnestic-confabulatory syndrome
While "psychosis" in the term suggests a break from reality (often manifested through confabulation—making up stories to fill memory gaps), the core deficit is neurological: an amnestic disorder caused by brain damage. The "polyneuritic" component highlights the damage to the peripheral nervous system, which is a common, but not always present, associated feature.
- dementia observed during the last stages of severe chronic alcoholism; involves loss of memory for recent events although long term memory is intact