Which symptom is described as present in the Korsakoff case?

• A. Short-term memory loss
• B. Long-term memory loss
• C. Visual hallucinations
• D. Seizures

Answer: (A)

Short-term memory loss is the hallmark of Korsakoff syndrome. This condition causes a severe difficulty in forming new memories (anterograde amnesia). People with it can remember distant events from before the illness, but they struggle to retain information for even a short period after it occurs, which makes new experiences hard to accumulate. Confabulation may appear as the brain fills gaps in memory, while long-term memories from the distant past are often relatively better preserved, at least early on, though some retrograde memory loss can occur as the condition progresses. Korsakoff arises from thiamine deficiency due to chronic alcohol use, typically after an earlier Wernicke’s encephalopathy, and it damages areas such as the mammillary bodies and thalamus. Visual hallucinations and seizures are not typical features of Korsakoff syndrome and point to other conditions.