In a previous article the authors reported on two groups of alcoholic
men in their late 30s who were remarkably free of neuropsychological
impairment. In this article they present the results of a 1-year follow- up
of many of these subjects. They found similarities in performance between
alcoholic subjects who in the original study had been abstinent for 18
months and nonalcoholic control subjects who drank moderately. However, the
group of alcoholic men who in the original study had been recently
detoxified (about 3 weeks) failed to show practice-effect learning on
follow-up. The authors interpret this failure as possibly indicative of a
preclinical phase of what might ultimately become organic impairment.Abstract Teaser