Assessment of cognitive recovery in alcoholics by use of the trail-making test.

Cognitive recovery among male alcoholics and controls was investigated with the Trail-Making Test as an index of cognitive impairment. The test was administered twice to all Ss with an interval of approximately 1 year between testings. A reported measures analysis of variance showed that the controls performed significantly better than the alcoholics at both administrations, although the alcoholics did improve between the pre-and posttests. Reported drinking episodes that occurred between the pre-and posttests appeared to have no effect on cognitive recovery in the alcoholic group when relapsed and abstinent subgroups were compared.