Korsakoff's syndrome

From Psy3242

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[[Category:Neuropsychological syndromes]]
[[Category:Neuropsychological syndromes]]
== '''Causes''' ==
== '''Causes''' ==
-
Korsakoffâ��s syndrome, first studied and documented by Korsakoff in the late 1890s, is caused by a deficiency in thiamine from long-term alcohol abuse, and a poor diet often associated with longtime alcoholism.  Korsakoffâ��s disease seems to result from extensive bilateral damage to the frontal lobe and frontal love atrophy, as well as damage to the medial thalamus, and bilateral damage to the mamillary bodies.
+
Korsakoff's syndrome, first studied and documented by Korsakoff in the late 1890s, is caused by a deficiency in thiamine from long-term alcohol abuse, and a poor diet often associated with longtime alcoholism.  Korsakoff's disease seems to result from extensive bilateral damage to the frontal lobe and frontal lobe atrophy, as well as damage to the medial thalamus, and bilateral damage to the mamillary bodies.
== '''Symptoms''' ==
== '''Symptoms''' ==
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The disorder is characterized by three symptomatic features: anterograde amnesia, retro grade amnesia, and confabulation.  Anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia affect the memories stored in the brain from before and after the disease, and the effects can destroy oneâ��s ability to access long-term memory and form new short-term memories.  Confabulation is the filling-in of memory gaps by Korsakoffâ��s patients in their semantic and episodic memories.   
+
The disorder is characterized by three symptomatic features: anterograde amnesia, retro grade amnesia, and confabulation.  Anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia affect the memories stored in the brain from before and after the disease, and the effects can destroy one's ability to access long-term memory and form new short-term memories.  Confabulation is the filling-in of memory gaps by Korsakoff's patients in their semantic and episodic memories.   
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Patients with Korsakoff�s syndrome often demonstrate other symptoms such as apathy and a lack insight, but their IQ and reasoning seems to be unaffected.
+
Patients with Korsakoff's syndrome often demonstrate other symptoms such as apathy and a lack insight, but their IQ and reasoning seems to be unaffected.
== '''Examples''' ==
== '''Examples''' ==
-
The patient H.M. is a well-known case of the global amnesia caused by Korsakoffâ��s syndrome.  Patients suffering from herpes simplex encephalitis may also exhibit Korsakoffâ��s symptoms such as difficulty in memory storage and retrieval.
+
The patient [[H.M.]] is a well-known case of the global amnesia caused by Korsakoff's syndrome.  Patients suffering from herpes simplex encephalitis may also exhibit Korsakoff's symptoms such as difficulty in memory storage and retrieval.
http://www.mtsu.edu/~sschmidt/Cognitive/sts/brain2.jpg
http://www.mtsu.edu/~sschmidt/Cognitive/sts/brain2.jpg

Revision as of 04:36, 28 April 2008

Contents

Causes

Korsakoff's syndrome, first studied and documented by Korsakoff in the late 1890s, is caused by a deficiency in thiamine from long-term alcohol abuse, and a poor diet often associated with longtime alcoholism. Korsakoff's disease seems to result from extensive bilateral damage to the frontal lobe and frontal lobe atrophy, as well as damage to the medial thalamus, and bilateral damage to the mamillary bodies.

Symptoms

The disorder is characterized by three symptomatic features: anterograde amnesia, retro grade amnesia, and confabulation. Anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia affect the memories stored in the brain from before and after the disease, and the effects can destroy one's ability to access long-term memory and form new short-term memories. Confabulation is the filling-in of memory gaps by Korsakoff's patients in their semantic and episodic memories. Patients with Korsakoff's syndrome often demonstrate other symptoms such as apathy and a lack insight, but their IQ and reasoning seems to be unaffected.

Examples

The patient H.M. is a well-known case of the global amnesia caused by Korsakoff's syndrome. Patients suffering from herpes simplex encephalitis may also exhibit Korsakoff's symptoms such as difficulty in memory storage and retrieval.

brain2.jpg

Overview

Korsakoff's syndrome is a degenerative neurological condition caused by a thiamine (B1) deficiency, which is itself often caused by alcoholism and other forms of malnutrition.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Korsakoff's syndrome include:

- amnesia (retrograde, anterograde, or both), due to the degeneration of the hippocampus

- lack of general interest

- confabulation (details and memories created by a person and taken as true by him/her)

- tremors and/or ataxia (lack of muscle coordination)

Treatment and Prognosis

While the most severe stages of the condition lead to coma and death, if caught early enough, recovery can be made through the use of intravenous thiamine supplements, and by improving general health and nutrition. The brain damage that occurs during the disease, however, is irreversible.

Sources

Wikipedia

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