The foremost predictors of memory problems as revealed by the random forests model were alcohol-related consequences during the past five years, such as health problems, past negative experiences, and withdrawal symptoms, and the largest number of drinks per day. This finding indicates that the individuals with alcohol-related memory problems not only consumed larger quantities of alcohol during the last five years, but also suffered drinking-related adverse consequences, such as withdrawal symptoms, negative experiences, and health issues. It is quite possible that the memory problems experienced by the individuals from the memory group could be one of the health and neurocognitive outcomes of chronic and/or hazardous alcohol consumption as supported by the relevant literature [131,132,133]. Relatedly, a great deal of research documents alcohol-induced brain damage and cognitive impairments, including memory deficits, in chronic and hazardous drinkers [134,135,136]. Taken together, alcohol-induced memory problems could be a part of a larger picture of severe brain damage in chronic and/or heavy users of alcohol. Future longitudinal studies combining both structural and functional MRI, along with various EEG and neuropsychological measures, may clarify the exact nature of alcohol-induced neurocognitive deficits.
