Brain correlates of memory dysfunction in alcoholic Korsakoff's syndrome

Objectives-To investigate the relation between anterograde amnesia and atrophy of brain structures involved in memory processing in alcoholic Korsakoffs syndrome. Methods-The volume of brain structures involved in memory processing was measured with MRI from 13 subjects with Korsakoffs syndrome, 13 subjects with chronic alcoholism without Korsakoffs syndrome, and 13 control subjects. The brain structures analysed were the hippocampus, the parahippocampal gyrus, the mamillary bodies, the third ventricle, and the thalamus. Brain volumes were correlated with the delayed recall of a verbal learning test. Results-Compared with subjects with chronic alcoholism and control subjects, subjects with Korsakoffs syndrome had a reduced volume of the hippocampus, the mamillary bodies, and the thalamus, and enlargement of the third ventricle. The impairment of delayed recall correlated with the volume of the third ventricle (r = -0.55, p = 0.05) in the Korsakoff group. Conclusions-Anterograde amnesia in alcoholic Korsakoffs syndrome is associated with atrophy of the nuclei in the midline of the thalamus, but not with atrophy of the mamillary bodies, the hippocampus, or the parahippocampal gyrus.