In summary, although a number of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies provide evidence that abstinence is associated with improvement in cognitive functions, a meta-analysis of cognitive deficits in alcoholism suggested persistent dysfunctions in multiple cognitive processes even after weeks or months of abstinence (Stavro et al., 2013). The apparent slowdown in the course of recovery in cognitive functions could potentially be explained by factors such as age (Fein et al., 1990; Munro et al., 2000; Reed et al., 1992; Rourke and Grant, 1999), number of previous detoxifications (Loeber et al., 2010), use of cross-sectional design studies, and lack of consensus about the definition of interim drinking criteria used to classify abstainers and relapsers at follow-up.
