Although people mainly talk about the effects of AIDS upon the immune system, the virus that produces AIDS directly destroys brain tissue and causes dementia among individuals in advanced stages of the disease. The biological approach to psychology got its greatest boost in its early history from the discovery that this mental illness was actually caused by a sexually transmitted disease. Korsakoff's syndrome - dementia caused by a particular kind of nutritional deficiency that is associated with alcoholism. It is possible to stop the progression of the disorder, but the individual will probably not recover whatever mental functioning has been lost. Permanent brain damage has occurred.
Memory impairment is pronounced, particularly difficulty forming new memories.
Other Psychotic Disorders brief psychotic disorder - also known as brief reactive psychosis . Temporarily losing touch with reality. Lasts at least one day but less than one month. The individual buys into the psychotic beliefs of someone else. This person is actually more dangerous than a schizophrenic individual, because he or she has a psychotic belief but still otherwise has the intact mental faculties that will let the individual carry out plans based on that belief.