Serum thyrotropin responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in Korsakoff's syndrome

Eleven patients with DSM-III-R Korsakoff's syndrome were studied as were 11 patients with alcohol dependence syndrome (without Korsakoff's syndrome and abstinent for at least 3 years) and 11 healthy controls. All subjects underwent a thyroid-releasing hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulation test. Forty-five percent of the Korsakoff's syndrome patients had a blunted response and 18% of the chronic abstinent alcoholic group were similarly blunted. None of the controls had an attenuated response. The possible reasons for the high level of blunting are discussed.