DECREASED CINGULATE AND PRECUNEATE GLUCOSE-UTILIZATION IN ALCOHOLIC KORSAKOFFS-SYNDROME

Localized cerebral glucose utilization was determined for nine abstine nt alcoholic men with Korsakoff's syndrome and 10 age-matched normal m en who underwent positron emission tomography with [F-18]2-fluoro-2-de oxyglucose (FDG). Patients with Korsakoff's syndrome showed relatively decreased glucose utilization in cingulate and precuneate areas. Thes e decreases persisted even after correction for group differences in v entricular and sulcal cerebrospinal fluid measured on computed tomogra phy. Electroencephalographic recordings at the time of FDG uptake show ed no group differences, a finding that demonstrates that the metaboli c differences could not be explained by differences in physiological a rousal at the time of scanning. It is concluded that the decreased glu cose utilization in the patients reflects a disruption of memory circu itry, the Papez circuit, caused by diencephalic lesions induced by thi amine deficiency.