title: Thalamic abnormalities are a cardinal feature of alcohol-related brain dysfunction.
abstract: Two brain networks are particularly affected by the harmful effect of chronic and excessive alcohol consumption: the circuit of Papez and the frontocerebellar circuit, in both of which the thalamus plays a key role. Shrinkage of the thalamus is more severe in alcoholics with Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) than in those without neurological complication (AL). In accordance with the gradient effect of thalamic abnormalities between AL and KS, the pattern of brain dysfunction in the Papez's circuit results in anterograde amnesia in KS and only mild-to-moderate episodic memory disorders in AL. On the opposite, dysfunction of the frontocerebellar circuit results in a similar pattern of working memory and executive deficits in the AL and KS. Several hypotheses, mutually compatible, can be drawn to explain that the severe thalamic shrinkage observed in KS has different consequences in the neuropsychological profile associated with the two brain networks.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U1077, Caen, France; Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, U1077, Caen, France. Electronic address: pitel@cyceron.fr.
authors.forename: Anne Lise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pitel
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U1077, Caen, France; Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, U1077, Caen, France. Electronic address: segobin@cyceron.fr.
authors.forename: Shailendra H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Segobin
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U1077, Caen, France; Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, U1077, Caen, France. Electronic address: ritz@cyceron.fr.
authors.forename: Ludivine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ritz
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U1077, Caen, France; Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, U1077, Caen, France. Electronic address: eustache-f@chu-caen.fr.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eustache
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U1077, Caen, France; Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, UMR-S1077, Caen, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, U1077, Caen, France. Electronic address: helene.beaunieux@unicaen.fr.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beaunieux
mesh_terms: D000425:Alcohol Amnestic Disorder / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008326:Mammillary Bodies / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Alcoholism; Fronto-cerebellar circuit; Korsakoff's syndrome; Papez's circuit; Thalamus