Definition:
Korsakoff's syndrome is a degenerative disease of the brain, which is caused by deficit amounts of thiamine (Vitamin B1) present in the brain. The syndrome's name was derived from the name of the neuropsychiatrist who made this theory popular, Sergei Korsakoff.
This disease is also known as Korsakoff's psychosis and amnesic confabulatory syndrome.
Diagnosis:
As of the moment, there is still no particular laboratory or diagnostic procedure present to confirm diagnosis of Korsakoff's syndrome.
Treatment:
Korsakoff's syndrome can be treated by means of thiamine replacement administered through intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) injections. There are cases when drug therapy is a necessity.
Symptoms and Signs:
Korsakoff's syndrome has the following major symptoms:
* Anterograde amnesia
* Retrograde amnesia or combination of both, resulting to severe loss of memory
* Confabulation or false memory, which is marked by uncertainty to differentiate imagination from memory
* Worthless substance while in a conversation
* lack of insight to the condition
* absence of enthusiasm and interest (apathy)
Causes:
Korsakoff's syndrome is caused by insufficient amount of thiamine in the human brain, which is believed to have caused medial thalamus damage. This deficiency in thiamine may have been results of different causative factors including severe malnutrition and chronic alcoholism.
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