Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38613687›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience2025

Criminal behavior in alcohol-related dementia and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: a Nationwide Register Study.

Anniina Palm, Tiina Talaslahti, Risto Vataja, Milena Ginters, Hannu Kautiainen, Henrik Elonheimo, Jaana Suvisaari, Nina Lindberg, Hannu Koponen

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Anniina PalmDepartment of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland. anniina.palm@helsinki.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0719-295X
Tiina TalaslahtiDepartment of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland.
Risto VatajaDepartment of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland.
Milena GintersDepartment of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland.
Hannu KautiainenPrimary Health Care Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
Henrik ElonheimoFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Jaana SuvisaariMental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Nina LindbergDepartment of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland.
Hannu KoponenDepartment of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland.
University of Helsinki · FIFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare · FIKuopio University Hospital · FI

Funding

Helsingin ja Uudenmaan Sairaanhoitopiiri HUS/441/2022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic heavy alcohol use may lead to permanent brain damage, cognitive impairment, and dementia. While the link between alcohol use and crime is strong, virtually no research exists on the criminal behavior of patients with the alcohol-related neurocognitive disorders of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) and alcohol-related dementia (ARD).

methodsThe study population included all persons diagnosed with WKS (n = 1149) or ARD (n = 2432) in Finland in 1998-2015. Data on diagnoses, mortality, and crime were obtained from Finnish nationwide registers. Crime incidences were calculated 4 years before and after diagnosis. Crime types, incidences, and mortality were compared between disorders and with the general population.

resultsAltogether 35.6% of WKS patients and 23.6% of ARD patients had committed crimes in the 4 years preceding diagnosis, most commonly property and traffic crimes, followed by violent crimes. The incidence of criminal behavior decreased significantly after diagnosis; in WKS patients, the standardized criminality ratio (SCR), the ratio of observed to expected number of crimes (95% CI), was 3.91 (3.72-4.10) in 4 years before and 2.80 (2.61-3.00) in 4 years after diagnosis. Likewise, in ARD patients, the SCRs were 2.63 (2.51-2.75) before and 0.84 (0.75-0.92) after diagnosis. No significant difference emerged in mortality between persons with and without a criminal history.

conclusionsPersons with alcohol-related neurocognitive disorders frequently engage in criminal behavior prior to diagnosis, especially multiple offending. In the 4 years before and after diagnosis, crime rates declined in a linear fashion, with a marked reduction after diagnosis.

Indexed as

Alcoholic Korsakoff SyndromeAlcoholismCriminal BehaviorDementiaFemaleFinlandHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedAlcoholic Korsakoff syndromeAlcohol-related disordersCrimeDementiaMortality

Identifiers

PMID38613687
PMCPMC11910415
OpenAlexW4394786557

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.