Alcoholics have demonstrated some degree of memory impairment, despite evidence that they tend to overestimate their memory capacity (metamemory; Le Berre et al., 2010). The nature and extent of the impairments depend to some degree upon characteristics of the neuropsychological tests (task parameters such as timing of stimulus presentation and type of materials) and on the integrity of other cognitive functions supporting memory. For example, Marinkovic et al. (2009), using the Wechsler Memory Scale, which measures a number of different types of memory including verbal, auditory, visual, short-term, and working memory, found that alcoholics’ reaction times in a deep word-encoding task were negatively correlated both with working memory scores, and performance on a separate test of verbal fluency. These findings suggest that participants with worse executive functioning skills found the encoding task more difficult. The reaction times also showed a tendency to correlate with duration of heavy drinking, indicating that long-term heavy alcohol intake impacted speed of word-encoding. Other investigators used extensive batteries of neuropsychological tests (including the Wechsler Memory Scale, Dementia Rating Scale, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figures Test, and a
