Research indicates that alcoholics continue to manifest low P3 amplitudes after 3 to 10 years of abstinence. In contrast, abnormalities in certain early sensory components known as brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAER) recover completely. In addition, a study conducted in Spain indicates that while P3 does not recover following 4 months of abstinence, N2 latency recovers completely (Grau et al. 1992). These observations suggest that anomalies of some components (e.g., BAER, N2) may be consequences of heavy drinking, whereas anomalies that do not recover with prolonged abstinence (e.g., P3) may antecede the development of alcoholism.
