Korsakoff's psychosis

Last edited 05/2022 and last reviewed 06/2022

Korsakoff's psychosis is a condition that is characterised by a retrograde amnesia – loss of memory for events before the onset of the illness – and an inability to memorise new information.

The condition is most commonly seen in alcoholic patients where there is loss of nerve cells in the thalamic and mamillary bodies secondary to a thiamine deficiency, and occasionally in cases of head injury, cerebral hypoxia, tumour or encephalitis. There is microglial and capillary proliferation.

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