Clinical Practice SWES Practice Exam

What characterizes Korsakoff's syndrome in patients with chronic alcoholism?

1. Loss of short-term memory

2. Severe mood swings

3. Obsessive-compulsive behaviors

4. Personality changes

The correct answer is: Loss of short-term memory

Korsakoff's syndrome is primarily characterized by significant memory impairment, specifically in the formation of new memories and difficulties with short-term memory. This neurocognitive disorder is often linked to chronic alcoholism due to thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, which can result in damage to the brain regions involved in memory processing, particularly the thalamus and the mammillary bodies. Patients may display symptoms such as amnesia—both retrograde amnesia (loss of pre-existing memories) and anterograde amnesia (inability to create new memories). They often have intact long-term memories for events that occurred prior to the onset of the syndrome, but struggle to remember recent events or retain new information. This memory impairment is a hallmark of Korsakoff's syndrome and defines the condition distinctly from other potential behavioral or psychological changes that might accompany chronic alcohol use, such as mood disorders or personality alterations. Thus, the characterization of Korsakoff's syndrome hinges heavily on the loss of short-term memory, making it the most prominent and defining feature of this disorder.