Recovery of neurocognitive functioning in the executive domain has been associated with improvements in brain neurochemistry. Bartsch et al. (2007) administered an attentional test, requiring prompt detection of three subtly different target stimuli, which also measures aspects of concentration and coordination. They found that performance by alcoholics correlated with increases in choline and N-acetylaspartate levels with six to seven weeks of sobriety, particularly in frontomesial areas. Durazzo et al. (2011) used arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI of frontal and parietal gray matter to study groups of alcoholics with differing durations of abstinence. They found that compared to alcoholics who abstained during a 12-month period, those who resumed drinking showed significantly lower frontal gray matter perfusion; there were no group differences for parietal gray matter.
