Takeaway
Atrophy of the anterior nuclei of the thalamus was shown to tend to be specific to patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome, offering the prospect of being a neuroimaging marker that could diagnose Korsakoff’s syndrome.
Why this matters
While thalamic atrophy could explain the amnesia seen in Korsakoff’s syndrome, the loci and nature of alterations within the thalamic nuclei has not been compared in uncomplicated alcoholics and alcoholics with Korsakoff’s syndrome.