Thalamic amnesia: Korsakoff syndrome due to left thalamic infarction

Cole, Monroe; Winkelman, Marc D.; Morris, Julie; Simon, Judy E.; Boyd, Thomas A.

doi:10.1016/0022-510x(92)90010-i

Cited by 16 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…KS following dominant hemisphere thalamic infarction was described in five patients by Cole and colleagues (Cole et al, 1992). In one patient the lesion involved the mediodorsal and anterior principal nuclei of the thalamus with uncertain involvement of the mamillothalamic tract.…”

Section: Other Pathologies Resulting In Ksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology Associated with Korsakoff’s Syndrome

Kril

Harper

2012

Neuropsychol Rev

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Although the neuropathology of Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) was first described well over a century ago and the characteristic brain pathology does not pose a diagnostic challenge to pathologists, there is still controversy over the neuroanatomical substrate of the distinctive memory impairment in these patients. Cohort studies of KS suggest a central role for the mammillary bodies and mediodorsal thalamus, and quantitative studies suggest additional damage to the anterior thalamus is required. Rare cases of KS caused by pathologies other than those of nutritional origin provide support for the role of the anterior thalamus and mammillary bodies. Taken together the evidence to date shows that damage to the thalamus and hypothalamus is required, in particular the anterior thalamic nucleus and the medial mammillary nucleus of the hypothalamus. As these nuclei form part of wider memory circuits, damage to the inter-connecting white matter tracts can also result in a similar deficit as direct damage to the nuclei. Although these nuclei and their connections appear to be the primary site of damage, input from other brain regions within the circuits, such as the frontal cortex and hippocampus, or more distant regions, including the cerebellum and amygdala, may have a modulatory role on memory function. Further studies to confirm the precise site(s) and extend of brain damage necessary for the memory impairment of KS are required.

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Section: Other Pathologies Resulting In Ksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology Associated with Korsakoff’s Syndrome

Kril

Harper

2012

Neuropsychol Rev

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“…It should be noted that memory disturbances other than the amnesic syndrome are also frequently encoun- Neuropsychologia 38 (2000 ) 613±627 0028-3932/00/$ -see front matter # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 0 2 8 -3 9 3 2 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 1 0 4 -9 www.elsevier.com/locate/neuropsychologia Table 1 Amnesic and`frontal' symptoms after diencephalic infarction Study [ref] Cases Type of imaging Side of the infarction Lesion site according to the authors Ant MTT Rt VA VL Lat MD Midline IML CM Pf Pl Group 1: lesions located anteriorly in the thalamus Archer et al [4] CT left + + + + Speedie and Heilman [69] CT left + Goldenberg et al [26] CT left + + + + Gra-Radford et al [28] CT case 1 left All territory of the polar artery case 3 left case 5 right Von Cramon et al [82] CT 75% overlap of amnesics + + Bogousslavsky et al [12] CT case 1 left Anteriorly case 2 left Anterolaterally case 3 right Anteriorly Gorelick et al [27] MRI left + + + + + + + Stuss et al [75] CT case 1 bilateral + + + + + case 3 left + + + + Sandson et al [65] MRI left + + + + Cole et al [17] MRI case 1 left + + + Malamut [44] MRI bilateral + + + + Hodges and McCarthy [33] MRI bilateral + + + Pepin and Pepin [60] case 1 [16] MRI left + + + + Daum and Ackermann [18] MRI bilateral + + + + + Lucchelli et al [42] MRI left Anteroventrally Group 2: lesions at middle levels of the thalamus Gra-Radford et al [28] CT case 4 bilateral Territory of the paramedian artery Winocur et al [85] CT bilateral + + + Von Cramon et al [82] CT case 5 right + + left + + + case 6 left + + Mori et al [54] MRI left + + + + + Gentillini et al [25] CT [8] MRI case 1 right + case 2 bilateral + Bogousslavsky et al [1] CT right + + + Fensore et al [1] MRI left Territory of the paramedian artery Nichelli et al [56] MRI left + + + + right + + + + + Stuss et al…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuropsychology of infarctions in the thalamus: a review

et al. 2000

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From a review of the literature on the consequences of thalamic infarctions, it may be concluded that memory problems taking the form of an amnesic syndrome are dependent upon the integrity of the mammillo-thalamic tract (MTT). Memory problems incompatible with an amnesic syndrome however, appear to result from thalamic infarctions involving other areas of the thalamus but which leave MTT intact. In contrast, executive dysfunctions could not be shown so readily to depend upon a single structure of the thalamus. The results indicate that damage to the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, the midline nuclei or the intralaminar nuclei, or a combined lesion of these structures may be responsible for deficits of executive functioning.

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“…especially when the tubero-thalamic territory is affected causing long-term memory problems [19] but also anterograde and retrograde memory disorders as well as confabulations [20,21]. Cases of Korsakoff syndrome have been reported with thalamic and even bithalamic infarcts [22]. In the case of paramedic infarction, these memory disorders seem to be related to a disconnection of the tonsils and dorso-median nuclei of the thalami.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%