Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder caused by a deficiency of thiamine in the brain. The condition is named after the Russian neurologist who discovered it, Sergei Korsakoff. There are six main symptoms of Korsakoff syndrome: As mentioned earlier, these symptoms appear as a result of a deficiency of thiamine, which leads to dysfunction of the thalamus, and in some cells in the hypothalamus. In addition, it leads to neuronal loss, such as the destruction of neurons in the central nervous system, bleeding in parts of the hypothalamus, and even dysfunction of the hypothalamic nucleus. It was previously thought that anyone with the disease would eventually need constant care. However, with appropriate treatment, there is a clear chance that the patient may remain independent and maintain a good quality of life. Treatment involves replacing or supplementing thiamine in the blood intravenously or by injection into the muscle, along with proper nutrition and fluids. However, as for the memory loss and brain dysfunction, they cannot usually be treated by supplementing with thiamine. There are some cases where improvement has begun to appear, and with appropriate treatment within two years, although progress in treatment is slow, if the treatment is not correct. These symptoms mentioned above usually appear due to vitamin deficiency due to chronic drinking of alcohol. Alcohol is usually an indicator of poor nutrition, which in addition to inflammation in the stomach tissues, leads to thiamine deficiency. In addition, there is also malnutrition, repeated intentional vomiting, intermittent eating, a result of chemotherapy, in addition to mercury poisoning. Due to thiamine deficiency, the hypothalamus begins to decay, leaving a defect in the data that is over a short period until it affects long-term memories. The best way to prevent Korsakoff's disease is to avoid thiamine deficiency, and this is seen by avoiding chronic alcohol consumption, especially in Western countries. There was a suggestion in the United States to add thiamine to alcohol, but this method did not work, and the disease continued to appear. In this case, you see that the best way is to avoid drinking. There is a famous case study written by the writer Oliver Sacks, in the story “The Lost Sailor”, in his book “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat”, and also used by the writer Mohamed Ibrahim Mahrous in his novel “The Devil’s Mirrors” where the hero was afflicted with this syndrome.