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Glite Dictionary
Korsakov's syndrome

Korsakov's syndrome

9.9
A long-lasting memory problem often after heavy drinking that makes a person lose recent memories but keep older ones
  • noun
  • /ˈkɔrsəˌkɔvz ˈsɪnˌdroʊm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : síndrome de Korsakov
  • People suffering from Korsakov's syndrome often cannot remember recent conversations but recall events from their youth.

Examples

  • The patient was diagnosed with Korsakov's syndrome following years of heavy drinking.

  • Alcohol-induced vitamin deficiency is a leading cause of Korsakov's syndrome.

  • Many patients have Korsakov's syndrome.

  • What is Korsakov's syndrome?

  • Many people who struggle with alcohol dependence may develop Korsakov's syndrome, which affects their memory.

  • The doctor explained that Korsakov's syndrome leads to difficulties remembering new information but allows individuals to recall past experiences.

  • After an extensive evaluation, the neurologist confirmed her diagnosis of Korsakov's syndrome due to her chronic thiamine deficiency.

Synonyms

Korsakoff's syndrome
vsKorsakov's syndrome
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A long-lasting memory disorder that prevents making new memories but keeps older memories, often after heavy drinking

is the same disorder but named with a different spelling form
Korsakoff syndrome
vsKorsakov's syndrome
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A brain disorder from long heavy drinking and lack of vitamin B1 that causes severe memory loss

highlights the same condition but stresses the vitamin deficiency cause
Korsakoff's psychosis
vsKorsakov's syndrome
  • Specialized
9.1

Long-lasting memory problem with severe short-term memory loss caused by long-term heavy drinking

focuses more on thiamine deficiency as the direct cause
Korsakov's psychosis
vsKorsakov's syndrome
  • Specialized
9.9

A long-lasting memory disorder after heavy drinking that makes people forget recent events but remember older ones

emphasizes the deficiency cause rather than general alcohol dependence stage
alcohol amnestic disorder
vsKorsakov's syndrome
  • Specialized
9.1

A serious loss of recent memory after long term heavy drinking while older memories stay

is narrower, identifying a specific thiamine-linked memory disorder
alcoholic dementia
vsKorsakov's syndrome
  • Specialized
7.8

A kind of memory loss caused by many years of heavy drinking that affects recent memories but not old ones

is more specific about cause and the distinct memory pattern
polyneuritic psychosis
vsKorsakov's syndrome
  • Archaic
9.9

A serious memory problem where heavy long-term drinkers lose recent memories but keep old ones

is a specific diagnosis focusing on vitamin deficiency rather than general dementia

Surface Forms

Korsakov's syndrome singular

Morphology

Korsakov's + syndrome

The noun 'syndrome' clearly signals a medical condition, so a learner who knows both words would likely infer this is a named disease (partial transparency). However, 'Korsakov's' is an eponym with no lexical content that would indicate the specific memory-loss profile or thiamine-related cause, so the detailed meaning is not derivable from the constituents alone.

Etymology

Korsakov's syndrome is named after a Russian doctor, Sergei Korsakoff, who noticed patients who could remember old events but kept forgetting things that had just happened. That's why the name refers to a 'memory disorder' where recent memories are lost but older memories remain.