Alcohol dependence is characterized by a maladaptive pattern of alcohol consumption that can lead to tolerance, withdrawal and a loss of control over intake that has negative psychological and physiological consequences. Cognitive impairment is a common feature of alcohol dependence (Hester, Lubman & Yucel 2010) and persists after alcohol detoxification in 50–75 percent of cases (Smith & Atkinson 1995; Parsons & Nixon 1998). The relationship between alcohol dependence and cognitive impairment is complex. Cognitive impairment may increase the risk of alcohol dependence or arise as a consequence of prolonged heavy drinking. Family studies comparing non‐alcoholic children of alcoholics to those with a negative family history of alcoholism find those with alcoholic parents perform worse on tests of executive function (Ozkaragoz, Satz & Noble 1997; Gierski et al. 2013) suggesting that cognitive impairment may precede the onset of dependence.
