Alcohol-Induced Persisting Amnesic Disorder

Alcohol-induced persisting amnesic disorder, included in substance induced persisting amnestic disorder, is also known as Wernicke's encephalopathy. It is caused by a lack of thiamine in the diet which a side effect of the improper eating habits that are frequently seen in those who abuse substances.

This deficiency causes difficulties with the limbic system of the brain including the medial thalamus and mammillary bodies of the posterior hypothalamus. Alcohol-induced persisting amnesic disorder is also a cause of generalized cerebral atrophy. This lack of nutrients also causes deficits in declarative memory (explicit memories of information, facts, and events that can be consciously remembered) in most patients, but leaves implicit memories such as spatial, verbal, and procedural memory functioning intact.