“…Cognitive functions most likely to recover, patient characteristics most likely to predict recovery, and time course for such recovery have important implications for treatment (Goldman, 1995;Nixon et al, 1998;Bates et al, 2002). When memory tasks require active strategies for encoding, semantic organization, and retrieval of learned material, they probably draw on frontal executive systems (e.g., Incisa della Rocchetta and Milner, 1993;Fletcher et al, 1998;Savage et al, 2001) and medial temporal systems required for formation of new memories (for review see, Gabrieli, 1998). Deficits in such strategic memory tasks can occur with chronic alcoholism (Brandt et al, 1983;Rourke and Grant, 1999;Munro et al, 2000;Sullivan et al, 2000d;Sullivan et al, 2002;Fama et al, 2004); (for reviews see, Parsons, 1987b;Riege, 1987;Oscar-Berman and Marinkovic, 2003) but can also recover with abstinence (Parsons, 1987a;Fein et al, 1990;Fein et al, 2006).…”