Korsakoff's syndrome

Korsakoff's syndrome is a manifestation of Wernicke's encephalopathy, also called Wernicke's disease. It happens in Wernicke's disease in almost all alcohol abusers. It is rare among the other patients, but, for example, some cases have been observed after bariatric surgeries, when deficiency was not prevented by use of nutritional supplements. This neurological disorder is caused by a lack of thiamine (vitamin B₁) in the brain, and is also often exacerbated by the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. When Wernicke's encephalopathy accompanies Korsakoff's syndrome, the combination is called the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Korsakoff's is a continuum of Wernicke's encephalopathy or disease, though a recognized episode of Wernicke's is not always obvious. The syndrome is named after Sergei Korsakoff, a Russian neuropsychiatrist who discovered the syndrome during the late 19th century.

Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is the combined presence of Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) and Korsakoff's syndrome. Due to the close relationship between these two disorders, people with both are usually diagnosed with WKS, as a single syndrome.