ArticleAlcoholism, clinical and experimental research2021
Unraveling Apathy in Korsakoff Syndrome Patients Receiving Long-Term Care With and Without Cerebrovascular Comorbidity.
Article in Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Introducing the Bbrainklok as a Digital External Memory Aid on Prospective Memory, Apathy and Autonomy in Individuals with Korsakoff's Syndrome.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Article
- The Development of a Program to Identify and Manage Apathy in Residents with Korsakoff's Syndrome: A Qualitative Exploration of Patient, Family Caregiver, and Professional Caregiver Perspectives.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Theory of mind deficits in Korsakoff's syndrome and alcohol use disorder: Similar deficits but different underlying cognitive processes.Alcohol, clinical & experimental research · 2025Article
- When Do Korsakoff Patients Justify Immoral Behaviors? The Influence of Premorbid Delinquency and Self-Other Perspectives in Moral Decision-Making and Moral Reasoning.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Impaired Awareness in People with Severe Alcohol-Related Cognitive Deficits Including Korskoff's Syndrome: A Network Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Anticipatory and Anticipated Emotions in Regular and Non-regular Exercisers - A Qualitative Study.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Exploring the Impact of Individual and Social Antecedents on Teachers' Teaching Innovation: Perspective of Goal-Oriented Behavior and Social Identity.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Behavioral, Emotional and Social Apathy in Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
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6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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Abstract
backgroundKorsakoff syndrome (KS) is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder caused by acute deficiency of vitamin B1 and concomitant alcoholism. Patients with KS are particularly vulnerable for cerebrovascular comorbidity. KS is characterized by cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms, one of which is apathy. Apathy is a pathological lack of goal-directed behaviors, goal-directed cognitions, and goal-directed emotions. Cerebrovascular accidents are known to carry a risk for developing apathy. Apathy has a dramatic effect on the autonomy and daily lives of patients suffering from this condition.
methodsWe assessed general apathy and related subconstructs in fifteen patients with KS, fifteen patients with KS and cerebrovascular comorbidity who reside in a 24-hour care facility, and fifteen healthy controls.
resultsCompared with healthy controls, both KS patient groups showed higher levels of apathy as rated by a close informant. We found no difference between both KS patient groups and the healthy control group on the self-report section of the Pleasant Activities List, suggesting that motivation is still intact in KS patients. It is important to note a discrepancy was found between self-reporting and proxy reporting on this list. KS patients with cerebrovascular comorbidity showed more severe emotional blunting compared to both KS patients without cerebrovascular comorbidity and healthy controls. The competency to consent was lower in patients compared with healthy controls, but no difference was found between KS patients with cerebrovascular comorbidity and those without.
conclusionsOur results suggest that KS patients show increased levels of general apathy compared with healthy controls. Patients show a diminished competency to consent and increased emotional blunting, while motivation is not compromised. Cerebrovascular comorbidity in KS forms a high risk for emotional blunting. The results of this study suggest that apathy is a severe problem in KS. More attention in both the literature and clinical practice would benefit this complex patient population.
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