Cerebellar neurocognition and Korsakoff’s syndrome: An hypothesis

Summary In literature, the cerebellum is given a substantial role in cognitive processes, in addition to traditional views on cerebellar function of regulating motor behaviour. The phenomenon of cerebellar damage causing impairments in memory and executive functioning was observed in various cerebellar disorders. Cerebellar cognitive dysfunction can be interpreted as a disturbance of cerebello-cerebral connections to areas of the cerebral cortex involved in cognitive processing, but the exact nature of the cognitive dysregulation is not known. Memory and executive dysfunction are important clinical features of Korsakoff’s syndrome. We hypothesize that the Korsakoff syndrome might be an example of cerebellar neurocognitive dysfunctioning, caused by cerebello–cerebral pathways being disconnected in brain areas that are classically affected in Wernicke’s encephalopathy. Further research is needed to support the possibility of cerebellar neurocognitive disturbances in Korsakoff’s syndrome. If correct, this hypothesis may contribute to a better understanding of the clinical and neuropsychological profile of Korsakoff’s syndrome.