There are seven major symptoms of<unk> , an amnestic-confabulatory syndrome: # anterograde amnesia, memory loss for events after the onset of the syndrome # retrograde amnesia, memory loss extends back for some time before the onset of the syndrome # amnesia of fixation, also known as fixation amnesia (loss of immediate memory, a person being unable to remember events of the past few minutes) # confabulation, that is, invented memories which are then taken as true, due to gaps in memory, with such gaps sometimes associated with blackouts # minimal content in conversation # lack of insight # apathy – interest in things is quickly lost, and there is an indifference to change Benon R. and LeHuché R. (1920) described the characteristic signs of<unk>  with some additional features including: confabulation (false memories), fixation amnesia, paragnosia or false recognition of places, mental excitation, and euphoria. Thiamine is essential for the decarboxylation of pyruvate, and deficiency during this metabolic process is thought to cause damage to the medial thalamus and mammillary bodies of the posterior hypothalamus, as well as generalized cerebral atrophy. These brain regions are all parts of the limbic system, which is heavily involved in emotion and memory.<unk>  involves neuronal loss, that is, damage to neurons; gliosis, which is a result of damage to supporting cells of the central nervous system, and bleeding also occurs in mammillary bodies. Damage to the medial dorsal nucleus or anterior nuclei of the thalamus (limbic-specific nuclei) is also associated with this disorder. Cortical dysfunction may have arisen from thiamine deficiency, alcohol neurotoxicity, and/or structural damage in the diencephalon. Originally, it was thought that a lack of initiative and a flat affect were important characteristics of emotional presentation in sufferers. Studies have questioned this, proposing that neither is necessarily a symptom of<unk> . Research suggesting that people with<unk>  are emotionally unimpaired has made this a controversial topic. It can be argued that apathy, which is a usual characteristic, reflects a deficit of emotional expressions, without affecting the experience or perception of emotion.<unk>  causes deficits in declarative memory in most people, but leaves implicit spatial, verbal, and procedural memory functioning intact. People with<unk>  have deficits in the processing of contextual information. Context memories refers to the where and when of experiences, and is an essential part of recollection. The ability to store and retrieve this information, such as spatial location or temporal order information, is impaired. Research has also suggested that people with<unk>  have impaired executive functions, which can lead to behavioral problems and interfere with daily activities. It is unclear, however, which executive functions are affected most. Nonetheless, IQ is usually not affected by the brain damage associated with<unk> 's syndrome. At first it was thought that those with<unk>  used confabulation to fill in memory gaps. However, it has been found that confabulation and amnesia do not necessarily co-occur. Studies have shown that there is dissociation between provoked confabulation, spontaneous confabulation (which is unprovoked), and false memories. That is, people affected could be led to believe certain things had happened which actually had not, but so could people without<unk> .
Korsakoff syndrome
Huntington's disease-like syndrome
Parkinson-plus syndrome
Sydenham's chorea
Benedikt syndrome
Dementia praecox
Catel–Manzke syndrome
Tardive dysmentia