Remote memory function and dysfunction in Korsakoff's syndrome

Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) is a pervasive disorder of memory characterized by both anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Although retrograde memory impairment in KS has been less frequently studied, the status of remote memory in KS has been tested across a number of different tasks that measure knowledge of public information (e.g., famous faces/news events), general semantic information (e.g., vocabulary words), personal semantic information (e.g., facts about oneself), and autobiographical events (e.g., events from one's personal past). In each of these domains, Korsakoff patients demonstrate remote memory impairments that can extend back many years or decades. In addition, a majority of studies report that the extensive remote memory impairment in KS is temporally graded, with relative preservation of memories from childhood and early adulthood. The current paper reviews published experimental studies of remote memory in KS, with particular attention paid to (a) the selectivity of the deficit with respect to the age of the memory and (b) the relationship of memory impairment to underlying neuropathology. We discuss the significance of the reported pattern and extent of remote memory impairment with respect to theories about the nature of the underlying cognitive deficits in KS.