Recovery of cognitive abilities in male alcoholics.

Recovery of cognitive functioning in male alcoholic patients during 3 months abstinence was assessed using a shortened version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Twenty-four alcoholic patients were tested after 2 to 3 weeks of sobriety and at 11 to 12 weeks post-drinking, while a second group of 24 alcoholic patients was tested only after 11 to 12 weeks of sobriety. A control group of 24 healthy males also received the WCST. After 3 weeks of sobriety, alcoholic patients completed significantly fewer categories and made more errors than control subjects. Alcoholic patients also made more perseverative response than did controls. At 12 weeks post-drinking, the performance of alcoholic subjects was intermediate to that of controls and to alcoholic patients tested following 3 weeks of abstinence and did not differ significantly from either group. The results suggest that following the acute withdrawal period alcoholic patients experience difficulties in conceptual abilities and in the capacity to shift cognitive sets when appropriate. After nearly 3 months of abstinence, partial but not complete recovery of these abilities is evident.