What symptom is often linked to Korsakoff syndrome resulting from alcoholism?

Confabulation is a hallmark symptom associated with Korsakoff syndrome, which is commonly linked to chronic alcoholism and results from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. Individuals with this condition may create false memories or distortions, filling in gaps in their memory without the intention to deceive. This behavior often arises because the person is unable to retrieve certain memories accurately, leading to the invention of plausible stories about their past.

While incoherence, circumstantiality, and flight of ideas are also related to various cognitive and psychiatric disorders, they do not specifically define Korsakoff syndrome. Incoherence may involve disorganized speech, circumstantiality refers to excessive detail in communication leading away from the main point, and flight of ideas is characterized by rapidly switching from one thought to another, often seen in manic episodes. These symptoms do not capture the specific memory disturbances and the unique way in which individuals with Korsakoff syndrome navigate their memory deficits through confabulation.