Severe damage to the medial dorsal nucleus inevitably results in memory deficit. Additionally, autopsies of people who had KS have showed lesions in both the midline and anterior thalamus, and thalamic infarctions. Bilateral infarctions to the thalamus can result in Korsakoff-induced amnesia as well. These findings imply damage to anterior thalamic nuclei can result in disruptive memory. Risk factors
A number of factors may increase a persons risk to develop Korsakoff syndrome. These factors are often related to general health and diet. Age
Alcoholism
Chemotherapy
Dialysis
Extreme dieting
Genetic factors

Diagnosis
KS is primarily a clinical diagnosis; imaging and lab tests are not necessary. Prevention
The most effective method of preventing AKS is to avoid thiamine deficiency. In Western nations, the most common causes of such a deficiency are alcoholism and eating disorders. Because these are behavioral-induced causes, Korsakoff syndrome is essentially considered a preventable disease. Thus, fortifying foods with thiamine, or requiring companies that sell alcoholic beverages to supplement them with B vitamins in general or thiamine in particular, could avert many cases. Treatment
It was once assumed that anyone with KS would eventually need full-time care. This is still often the case, but rehabilitation can help regain some, albeit often limited, level of independence. Treatment involves the replacement or supplementation of thiamine by intravenous or intramuscular injection, together with proper nutrition and hydration. However, the amnesia and brain damage caused by the disease does not always respond to thiamine replacement therapy. In some cases, drug therapy is recommended.
These brain regions are all parts of the limbic system, which is heavily involved in emotion and memory. KS 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 those affected. Studies have questioned this, proposing that neither is necessarily a symptom of KS. Research suggesting that people with Korsakoff syndrome 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.KS causes deficits in declarative memory in most people, but leaves implicit spatial, verbal, and procedural memory functioning intact. People with KS 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 Korsakoff syndrome have impaired executive functions, which can lead to behavioral problems and interfere with daily activities.