Cognitive deficits are common in alcohol‐dependent individuals, particularly in the domain of executive function (Fernandez‐Serrano et al. 2010). However, a recent meta‐analysis of cognitive deficits in alcoholism found that most cognitive impairments abate a year after alcohol detoxification (Stavro, Pelletier & Potvin 2013). We find that polygenic risk for alcohol dependence is associated with poorer cognitive ability in some domains, particularly on verbal fluency—a measure of executive function, independent of alcohol consumption. Our findings are supported by family studies showing that non‐dependent offspring of alcoholics score lower on tests of executive function and language than those with a negative family history of alcoholism (Tapert & Brown 2000; Nigg et al. 2004; Gierski et al. 2013). Furthermore, higher childhood IQ is associated with fewer alcohol‐induced hangovers in adulthood (Batty et al. 2006). It is possible that lower cognitive ability is a risk factor for alcohol dependence in individuals with a high genetic risk for the disorder.
