Alzheimer's disease, Korsakoff's syndrome, and dreaming are compared and contrasted. Alzheimer's disease results from neuronal death and synapse loss, causing memory loss and dementia. Korsakoff's syndrome is caused by thiamine deficiency and can be reversed if treated early. Dreams occur during REM sleep and may help with memory consolidation. Both diseases involve memory loss and neuronal/synaptic changes, while dreaming is a normal process that occurs during sleep and differs in its effects on memory and brain activity.

1. ALZHEMIER’S DISEASE,
KORASKOFF’S SYNDROME &
DREAMING
Real life examples, relationship compare &
contrast
sabahat ali
Sabahatali825@gmail.com
Abstract
Alzhemier’s disease results from death of neurons & synapses, patient slowly loses the
portion of brain. Earlier form dementia leads to severity called Alzhemier’s Disease.
Korsakoff’s Syndrome from vitamin B1 deficiency curable at earlier stage called Wernicke’s
encephalopathy. Dreams in REM sleep are vivid & memorable rather NON-REM sleep.
Dreams often results in Consolidation.
(16-ARID-2569)

2. ASSIGNMENT
BS BCH 6th
(MORNING)
SUBMITTED TO: MA’AM AYESHA SALEEM
SUBMITTED BY: SABAHAT ALI (16-ARID-2569)
1) ALZHEMIER’S DISEASSE& KORASKOFF’S SYNDROME:
There is a very well-known term Alzhemier’s disease (AD) which is common situation of
dementia. Dementia is term for a decline in memory and other cognitive functions that
gets to the point of interfering with daily life.
Causes of Dementia: This can be multiple strokes & some other causes like amyloid
plaques (a buildup of proteins).
Dementia results in Excessive brain damage, neuron die off over time. So cerebral
cortex shrinks in size due to loss of neurons & synapses.
Symptoms of AD: Memory loss, difficulty with attention, semantic memory & abstract
thinking.
People are even unable to recognize their close family members & friends; may
experience emotional instability and loss their control over their bodily functions.
Korsakoff’s Syndrome is another neurological disorder, caused by thiamine (vitamin B1)
deficiency in brain & other causes linked to disease are male nutrition, eating disorder
especially alcoholism.
Thiamine is a very important vitamin because it converts carbohydrates into Glucose (
primarily important fuel for brain) required for normal functioning of neurons.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy precursor to Korsakoff’s Syndrome results from any
damage to certain part of brain, output as poor balance, abnormal eye movements,
mild confusion & memory loss. If this diagnosed earlier prior to progress into full blown
Korsakoff’s Syndrome, it is possible to reverse the damage.
Main symptoms are sever Memory loss. Earlier diagnosis & proper treatment can save
from developing Korsakoff’s Syndrome.
Example:
This is an example from my daily life. My grandmother, she is about 70 years old. She
is very innocent & loving. Here I’m going to discuss a reality that I observe about a year
ago. One day she was busy in her regular work suddenly she realized; she missed the
prayer time & started to offer Qaza namaz. However, she already had offered the Zohar

3. prayer, but she even don’t remember that. We tried to memorize her by giving different
symbols, clues & hints but she don’t remembered anything. She was suffering from
short-term memory loss. Another instance, after some days she started maghrib prayer,
but she forgot the qibla direction & offer all the prayer in the East not in the west.
Although all the conditions were same i.e. same house ( where she was residing for 35
years),same people, same environment & same weather condition. She forgot each &
everything that recently had done but she clearly remembered her marriage & the
whole journey of her life.
2) Dreaming:
Everybody does dream bearing any brain damage, that could be very nice, scary or just
little weird. There are some dreams that are obvious, vivid & memorable but some are
not.
People dream almost every night during REM (Random eye movement) sleep & these
dreams are memorable but some dreams that are seen during non-REM sleep they are
not memorable.
We can easily say if someone is dreaming just by looking his/her eye movement
underneath closed lids, such people look as they are awake, but their body is
completely non-Responsive & mostly paralyzed. Dreams are not localized in one part of
brain.
Q: Why dream often don’t seem as weird when we were in the dream until we wake up?
The reason behind this is the decreased activity of prefrontal cortex (part of brain for
logical thinking & planning) during REM sleep. So, if it is not active, we would not be
aware of things in our dream that defy logic like fooling around, animals talking to us or
something like that.
A popular theory of SIGMUND FREUD’s that dreams are unconscious thoughts and
desires that need to be interpreted. According to Psychologists Dreams allow us to
simulate threats so we can better prepared for them in the real world. Dreams are
combination of conscious & unconscious elements that helps our brain maintaining
flexibility, enabling us to learn and be creative when we are awake.
Dreams also helps our brain start of clean up by sweeping away some thoughts &
incorporating others into long term Memory (Consolidation).
Link between Sleep & Memory:
People who learn & then sleep tend to do better than people who learn and deprived
of sleep. The role between REM sleep & Dreaming is unclear. Dreaming helps our brains
repair and recuperate by preserving & developing neural pathways. The reason behind
this is people think infants who are constantly developing new neural networks spend
most of their time in REM stage.
However, dreams are not in our control.
Example:
I also dream almost every night, sometimes I remember my dream when I awake but
most of the time, they are not vivid & memorable.
It is just my experience whatever we think before sleeping our mind is working on it &
that comes in our dream. I would like to share my dream that I seen long ago. I had a
craze for joining Pakistan Army, my cousin was captain & I see myself as a soldier. I

4. dreamt one day; Indian Army had attacked our homeland that is our house in the
dream. I with my father am fighting with enemies by firing and bomb blasting, my
father got injured & suddenly dream change to a strange situation in which 2-3 snakes
are there on the wall of our roof. Each snake had unusual and different topology. One
snake had two heads on the trunk & other had many while third one had only one head
but multiple trunks. I’m busy in cutting their heads with knife and killing them. And I
woke up it was Fajar time & I don’t remembered what I had dreamt. But some time
later I memorize my dream.
COMPARE & CONTRAST BETWEEN ALZHEMIER’S DISEASE, KORASKOFF’S SYNDROME
AND DREAMING:
SIMILARITIRS:
1) In both cases Memory is involved; there is some role of Memory.
2) Neurons are involved that regulate the functions.
3) Synapses are involved in both the cases.
4) In both topics information regarding short term memory is given.
5) Can occur in any part of brain i.e. not localized.
COMPARISON:
Alzhemier’s Disease & Korsakoff’s
Syndrome:
Dreaming
1) This is a disease.
2) Results in short term Memory loss.
3) Amyloid plaques formed due to
protein accumulation.
4) Dementia is the earlier stage.
5) Male nutrition leads to Korsakoff’s
Syndrome.
6) The neurons die synapses finished &
this can occur in any part of the
brain.
1) This is not a disease condition &
everybody does dream normally.
2) Results in sweep away old
memories & build new memories.
3) Dreaming results in no protein
accumulation.
4) REM & NON-REM stage in
Dreaming.
5) Consolidation occur in dreaming.
6) In REM sleep prefrontal cortex
activity is decreased.