Blackouts: relationship with memory capacity and alcoholism history.

Male alcoholic inpatients with a high incidence of memory blackouts did not differ on several memory measures from subjects with a low incidence of blackouts. Alcoholism chronicity also did not differentiate between subjects on the Wechsler Memory Scale, tests of storage and decay of a memory trace, and maintenance of a concept along a temporal continuum. A history of blackouts was, however, related to drinking pattern. High-incidence subjects reported a significantly greater frequency of drinking to intoxication or until falling asleep, craving a drink, and increased tolerance to alcohol.