Similar brain lesions in alcoholics and Korsakoff patients: MRI, psychometric and clinical findings.
MRI examination revealed similar brain lesions in 5 alcoholic Korsakoff patients and 5 chronic alcoholics without cognitive impairment. Not only cerebral atrophy and demyelination, but also lesions thought to be specific for the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome were equally prominent in both groups. The morphological abnormalities thought to be typical of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome are probably common features of chronic alcoholism and malnutrition. Marked atrophy of the operculae was found in all Korsakoff patients and in 3 out of 5 chronic alcoholics. Alcohol amnestic disorder may not exclusively result from diencephalic lesions, but also from temporal lesions.
Blansjaar
B A
BA
St. Joris Gasthuis, Delft, The Netherlands.
Vielvoye
G J
GJ
van Dijk
J G
JG
Rijnders
R J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D000425:Alcohol Amnestic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014899:Wernicke Encephalopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology
D000431:Ethanol