Which condition is an apparently irreversible state characterized by the individual's inability to learn new information and remember recent events?

Which condition is an apparently irreversible state characterized by the individual's inability to learn new information and remember recent events?

• A. Wernicke's disease
• B. Korsakoff's psychosis
• C. Blackout
• D. Alcoholic dementia

Answer: (B)

Korsakoff's psychosis is a memory disorder produced by thiamine deficiency from long-term heavy alcohol use. Its hallmark is severe trouble learning new information (anterograde amnesia) and recalling recent events, so new experiences don’t get stored into memory and recent happenings become hard to remember. People often show confabulation and may seem unaware of their memory gaps, while some older memories can remain relatively intact. This pattern typically follows an episode of Wernicke’s encephalopathy and is often considered irreversible, unlike a blackout (temporary memory loss during intoxication) or more general terms like alcoholic dementia, which describe broader cognitive decline rather than the specific amnestic syndrome.

Korsakoff's psychosis is a memory disorder produced by thiamine deficiency from long-term heavy alcohol use. Its hallmark is severe trouble learning new information (anterograde amnesia) and recalling recent events, so new experiences don’t get stored into memory and recent happenings become hard to remember. People often show confabulation and may seem unaware of their memory gaps, while some older memories can remain relatively intact. This pattern typically follows an episode of Wernicke’s encephalopathy and is often considered irreversible, unlike a blackout (temporary memory loss during intoxication) or more general terms like alcoholic dementia, which describe broader cognitive decline rather than the specific amnestic syndrome.