Interference in memory recall may be affected by nutritional deficiencies and stress. Korsakoff syndrome, due to a lack of vitamin B1 or thiamine, negatively affects memory in some alcoholic patients (Carlson, 2010). Stress has also been shown to interfere with the memory of people facing the stress of surviving a natural disaster. Korsakoff syndrome usually occurs in older patients who have been drinking alcohol for decades, but thiamine deficiency can also cause cognitive impairment in younger patients (Terry, 2009). Older people with memory difficulties are often thought to have dementia, but in some cases, such as those with Korsakoff syndrome, the cause may actually be poor nutrition. Thiamine is not only essential for cognitive functions but also for the “metabolism of pyruvate carboxylation, an intermediate product in the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and amino acids” (Carlson, 2010, p. 550). When “severely malnourished people receive intravenous glucose, the sudden availability of glucose to the cells of the ...