Neuropsychological deficit in chronic alcoholism: early detection and prediction by analysis of verbal behavior.

The content analysis of five-minute speech samples obtained from detoxified chronic alcoholic patients is a valid test for measuring cognitive impairment during the course of treatment. Such cognitive impairment scores six months after hospital discharge can be predicted using the variables of age, educational level, certain drinking patterns and cognitive impairment scores at the time of hospital admission. Patients who abstain for six months following hospital discharge have less cognitive impairment than those patients who resume drinking.