Chronic alcoholism significantly impairs hippocampal long-term potentiation (Miranda, Nelson et al 2002) and produces progressive learning and memory deficits across a variety of behavioral tests, including active avoidance (Walker et al 1971) and spatial memory (Santin et al 2000). Reduction of hippocampal volume in alcoholics is reversible after short periods of abstinence (White et al 2000). The loss of hippocampal volume has been attributed to changes in white matter (Harding et al 1997), but the incorporation of newly formed neurons to the dentate gyrus could also be affected by alcohol. Similarly, hippocampal-dependent cognitive functions have also shown reversibility after comparable periods of abstinence.
