To date, studies on cognitive recovery have largely included individuals with long-term sobriety, whereas alcoholics who relapse, who are notoriously difficult to track, are less often studied. Relapses (i.e., the resumption of alcohol drinking following a period of abstinence), however, are a crucial part of the addiction process and deserve attention, especially when after a period of abstinence, alcoholic patients who relapse may experience further decline in cognitive functioning (Pitel et al., 2009). Another factor seldom considered is the population studied. Specifically, most studies have examined treatment-seeking alcoholics, but this group reflects only about one-quarter of individuals with alcoholism (Smith and Fein, 2010).
