Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Korsakoff's Syndrome

Definition

Korsakoff's syndrome is a memory disorder which is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B₁, also called thiamine.

Description

In the United States, the most common cause of thiamine deficiency is alcoholism. Other conditions that cause thiamine deficiency occur quite rarely, but can be seen in patients undergoing dialysis (a procedure used primarily for patients suffering from kidney failure, during which the patient's blood circulates outside of the body, is mechanically cleansed, and then is circulated back into the body), pregnant women with a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum (a condition of extreme morning sickness, during which the woman vomits up nearly all fluid and food intake), and patients after surgery who are given vitamin-free...