title: Specificity of memory deficits in alcoholism.
abstract: Inferences of specific impairments in memory from prolonged abuse of alcohol have come from initial studies reporting that visuospatial memory and problem solving were impaired but verbal memory and learning were not. The apparent specificity, however, is demonstrated to be an artifact of the more difficult visual tests. With task complexity increased, impairments are shown also in both learning and recall of words, story, or designs. A common condition for deficits to be detected is the demand for effort in encoding and retrieving of to-be-remembered information. In general, deficits are mild and diffuse and do not seem to be clearly specific to material or modality. Furthermore, deficits are more pronounced in old alcoholics, although these tend to have longer drinking careers. Age and length of abstinence are more significant predictors of impairment than length or rate of alcohol drinking; however, concomitant disease and familial history of alcoholism are recognized to contribute to wide differences in effort-requiring memory processing.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000425:Alcohol Amnestic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D011581:Psychological Tests