A memory retraining program for nontoxic chronic alcoholics.
This study assessed the effectiveness of a memory rehabilitation program for fifty-nine alcoholics, using a pretest/posttest control group design. The Dooks Memory Test evaluated the different facets of memory, and the Trailmaking Test A and B measured attention and concentration. An analysis of covariance yielded a significant main effect for the Memory Retraining Program (p less than 0.001). The covariate for the composite memory scores was also significantly (p less than 0.025). There was also a significant effect of Age (p less than 0.025) and of IQ p less than 0.002. There were no interaction effects between age and treatment, or IQ and treatment, and no other independent variables (education, duration, days since last drink, depression) were significant. The results point to the potential effectiveness of a memory retraining program for a variety of educational levels, age groups and IQ scores.
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning; D011581:Psychological Tests; D014936:Word Association Tests