Korsakoff's psychosis is characterized by which of the following?

Korsakoff's psychosis is primarily characterized by a persistent difficulty in forming new memories, which is due to damage in areas of the brain related to memory formation, often resulting from chronic alcohol misuse or nutritional deficiencies, particularly thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. Individuals with this condition typically struggle to acquire new information and experiences, leading to significant memory impairment.

While some level of past memory recall might be retained, the hallmark feature of Korsakoff's psychosis is the individual's inability to create new long-term memories. This condition often involves confabulation, where the person may unknowingly invent stories to fill in memory gaps, but these stories do not represent real events they have experienced.

The other options reflect misunderstandings of the condition. For instance, the ability to learn new information is fundamentally impaired in Korsakoff's psychosis, marking that choice as incorrect. An inability to recall past events alone does not capture the complete spectrum of memory issues faced in this condition, as it uniquely affects the capacity to form new memories rather than merely recalling old ones. Lastly, a temporary state of confusion does not align with Korsakoff's psychosis, which is a chronic state often lasting significantly longer than a mere temporary confusion.