Substance use: Korsakoff syndrome: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Psychiatry · Substance use: Korsakoff syndrome

Sample item

After recovering from an episode of Wernicke encephalopathy, a patient cannot form new memories, and fills the gaps in his recall with fluent fabricated stories. This is:

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Korsakoff syndrome

Korsakoff syndrome features severe anterograde (and retrograde) amnesia with confabulation and preserved alertness, due to lesions of the mamillary bodies and dorsomedial thalamus. Treatment is thiamine, and recovery is often incomplete.

Option by option

  • A. Ganser syndrome

    Ganser syndrome gives approximate answers and is related to stress or custody.

  • B. Korsakoff syndrome (correct)

    Correct. Amnesia with confabulation after Wernicke is Korsakoff.

  • C. Delirium tremens

    Delirium tremens has clouded consciousness and autonomic overactivity.

  • D. Pseudodementia

    Pseudodementia is depression mimicking dementia.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is B, Korsakoff syndrome. Korsakoff syndrome features severe anterograde (and retrograde) amnesia with confabulation and preserved alertness, due to lesions of the mamillary bodies and dorsomedial thalamus.

Why is "Ganser syndrome" not the answer?

Ganser syndrome gives approximate answers and is related to stress or custody.

Why is "Delirium tremens" not the answer?

Delirium tremens has clouded consciousness and autonomic overactivity.

Why is "Pseudodementia" not the answer?

Pseudodementia is depression mimicking dementia.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Substance use: Korsakoff syndrome in Psychiatry. Treatment is thiamine, and recovery is often incomplete.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Substance use: Korsakoff syndrome?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.