Episodic memory involves the mnemonic system founded on the processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval of personally experienced events, associated with a precise temporal and spatial context (Tulving, 2001; Tulving, 2002). Deficits in encoding and retrieval processes occur in recently abstinent alcoholics (Pitel et al., 2007a) and can affect learning of verbal and nonverbal information (Beatty et al., 1995; Everett et al., 1988; Kopera et al., 2012; Schaeffer and Parsons, 1987; Sherer et al., 1992; Sullivan et al., 1992; Sullivan et al., 2000b; Tivis et al., 1995). Episodic memory deficits have been related to executive dysfunction, with poor generation of spontaneous learning or retrieval strategies indirectly affecting free-recall performance (Noel et al., 2012a; Sullivan et al., 1992). A different perspective considers that a genuine episodic memory impairment exists in alcoholics even after accounting for the contribution of executive dysfunction (Pitel et al., 2007a).
