Clinical and pathological aspects of the mnestic syndrome

Abstract

The “mnestic syndromes” proper belong to the class of “organic syndromes” of which they are a more or less ill defined sub-group. Though memory disturbances do occur in psychogenic disorders, the mnestic syndrome has in relation to these only a differential diagnostic significance. Disturbances of memory may, of course, appear in other organic syndromes, but only when memory defects are the dominant clinical feature or the sole defect (probably quite rare) should one speak of the “mnestic syndrome”. A number of sub-types or syndromes, e.g. the so-called Korsakov syndrome, are contained in the mnestic syndrome. As the syndrome may show various types of amnesia, dysmnesia or hypermnesia, the term “mnestic syndrome” was suggested rather than “amnestic syndrome” (Conrad, 1953).