Recovery of Anterograde Amnesia in a Case of Craniopharyngioma

Kupers, Ron; Fortin, Andrée; Astrup, Jens; Gjedde, Albert; Ptito, Maurice

doi:10.1001/archneur.61.12.1948

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(34 reference statements)

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“…Mamillary bodies and thalamus are included in the diencephalic structures. A case study described how lesions in the mamillary bodies could cause anterograde amnesia [1]. As for the thalamus, both midline-thalamic nuclei and anterior thalamic nuclei were mentioned.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The tumour compressed mainly the mamillary bodies but the right hippocampus as well. However, the amnesia was ascribed to the compression to the mamillary bodies because of the following two reasons: 1) contradictory to the role of right hippocampus, the impairment of verbal and nonverbal memory was asymmetry lacked; 2) while the patient showed full recovery after surgery, the FDG uptake of right hippocampus showed very limited change [1]. There are other studies showed that instead of passively processing the information from the hippocampus, mamillary bodies may be playing another role in memory processing as they are contributing new things [2], therefore the importance of mamillary bodies in memory formation may be underestimated in former studies.…”

Section: Mamillary Bodiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Living in the Past: The Pathology of Anterograde Amnesia

Wang¹

2022

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research

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In this review, a model of anterograde amnesia was proposed, including the diencephalon, the medial temporal lobe and the routes that connect these two brain regions. Structures within these brain regions was proved to be related with anterograde amnesia in former studies. The structures are mamillary bodies and thalamus in the diencephalon, hippocampus in the medial temporal lobe, and fornix that links the hippocampus to the diencephalon. Damage to these brain structures could result in anterograde memory impairment. Results of several case studies were discussed in this review as pieces of evidence that support this model. In the second part of the review, the effect of different factors, including alcohol, hypoglycaemia and carbon monoxide, could have to these brain structures were stated. Dysfunction of the thalamus, hippocampus and mamillary bodies was believed to be responsible for anterograde amnesia after heavy alcohol consumption, and dysfunction of the hippocampus was ascribed for memory impairment following hypoglycaemia and carbon monoxide inhaling.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mamillary Bodiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living in the Past: The Pathology of Anterograde Amnesia

Wang¹

2022

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research

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“…12 Nonetheless, it has been recognized that focal bilateral lesions in crucial structures of cognitive and memory circuits can give rise to severe amnestic disorders mimicking Korsakoff syndrome. 7 To date, only a few cases of Korsakoff-like syndrome have been associated with rare structural lesions in the basal brain, including traumatic penetrating lesions, 5,20 neurovascular insults, 3,16,25 and tumors such as craniopharyngiomas, 11,25 third ventricular lymphomas, 21 and cysts of the septum pellucidum. 15 In addition, the onset of this syndrome has been reported following the removal of tumors of the third ventricle in both adult and pediatric populations 1,2,7,8 and in the microsurgical treatment of anterior communicating artery aneurysms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Craniopharyngiomas, which are neoplasms that develop from nests of epithelium derived from Rathke's pouch and are typically centered in the suprasellar/diencephalic regions, have been associated with Korsakoff-like amnestic syndromes. 7,11,24 The patients presented in the cited series were found to have large lesions with mass effect on the floor and sides of the third ventricle during their workup for amnestic disorders, generally refractory to the relief of raised intracranial pressure. 17,24 In a similar fashion, in our patient with craniopharyngioma, the mental symptoms rapidly cleared up upon cyst aspiration, fenestration, and/or lesion debulking.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Korsakoff syndrome from retrochiasmatic suprasellar lesions: rapid reversal after relief of cerebral compression in 4 cases

Savastano¹,

Hollon²,

Barkan

et al. 2018

Journal of Neurosurgery

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Korsakoff syndrome is a chronic memory disorder caused by a severe deficiency of thiamine that is most commonly observed in alcoholics. However, some have proposed that focal structural lesions disrupting memory circuits-in particular, the mammillary bodies, the mammillothalamic tract, and the anterior thalamus-can give rise to this amnestic syndrome. Here, the authors present 4 patients with reversible Korsakoff syndromes caused by suprasellar retrochiasmatic lesions compressing the mammillary bodies and adjacent caudal hypothalamic structures. Three of the patients were found to have large pituitary macroadenomas in their workup for memory deficiency and cognitive decline with minimal visual symptoms. These tumors extended superiorly into the suprasellar region in a retrochiasmatic position and caused significant mass effect in the bilateral mammillary bodies in the base of the brain. These 3 patients had complete and rapid resolution of amnestic problems shortly after initiation of treatment, consisting of resection in 1 case of nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma or cabergoline therapy in 2 cases of prolactinoma. The fourth patient presented with bizarre and hostile behavior along with significant memory deficits and was found to have a large cystic craniopharyngioma filling the third ventricle and compressing the midline diencephalic structures. This patient underwent cyst fenestration and tumor debulking, with a rapid improvement in his mental status. The rapid and dramatic memory improvement observed in all of these cases is probably due to a reduction in the pressure imposed by the lesions on structures contiguous to the third ventricle, rather than a direct destructive effect of the tumor, and highlights the essential role of the caudal diencephalic structures-mainly the mammillary bodies-in memory function. In summary, large pituitary lesions with suprasellar retrochiasmatic extension and third ventricular craniopharyngiomas can cause severe Korsakoff-like amnestic syndromes, probably because of bilateral pressure on or damage to mammillary bodies, anterior thalamic nuclei, or their major connections. Neuropsychiatric symptoms may rapidly and completely reverse shortly after initiation of therapy via surgical decompression of tumors or pharmacological treatment of prolactinomas. Early identification of these lesions with timely treatment can lead to a favorable prognosis for this severe neuropsychiatric disorder.

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“…Some authors have reported that severe anterograde amnesia is caused by bilateral lesions in medial temporal lobe structures (Di Gennaro et al, 2006), anteromedian thalamus (Carrera et al, 2004) or fornix (Poreh et al, 2006). Cases of anterograde amnesia were also developed by a unilateral lesion in mamillary body (Kupers et al, 2004), anterior medial thalamus (Summers, 2002), or hippocampus (Park et al, 2007).…”

Section: Amnesia Vs Dementiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Dementia: An Overview

Bansal¹,

Parle

2014

JPTRM

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Dementia is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive and continuous loss of cognitive functions. The neuropsychiatric symptoms include apathy; agitation and depression. As the disorder progresses, the patient gradually becomes dependent on others to perform routine daily activities. Various underlying diseases or disorders are the root cause of the syndrome of dementia. Each of these disorder or disease is characterized by a specific signs and symptoms in combination with a presumed underlying neuropathology. Alzheimer's disease is the most prevalent cause of dementia. The second most prevalent cause is vascular dementia. In this review, the clinical types, pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy is summarized.

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Recovery of Anterograde Amnesia in a Case of Craniopharyngioma

Abstract: These behavioral and brain imaging data stress the importance of the MBs in this patient's amnesia. Our data further suggest that the clinical prognosis of decompressing the mammillothalamic tract is excellent, even in cases of massive compression.

Cited by 14 publications

References 28 publications

Living in the Past: The Pathology of Anterograde Amnesia

Living in the Past: The Pathology of Anterograde Amnesia

Korsakoff syndrome from retrochiasmatic suprasellar lesions: rapid reversal after relief of cerebral compression in 4 cases

Dementia: An Overview

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