In summary, impairments in the domain of executive functioning consistently have been shown in alcoholics, but some executive impairments may be reversed with sobriety. Because of the role of frontal brain systems in directing cognition and behavior, this finding has important implications for overcoming addiction. Because many alcoholics report that a central problem is an inability to act in concert with their conscious plans and intentions, especially with respect to abstaining from alcohol, it may be encouraging to note that the brain system involved in these cognitive processes can and does recover with continued abstinence
