Cognitive Impairment in Children of Alcoholics

Excessive alcohol consumption can be associated with cognitive impairment not only in drinkers but also in their offspring. Studies of children of alcoholics (COA's), and particularly of sons of male alcoholics (SOMA's), have identified a characteristic cognitive profile. COA's frequently have deficits in verbal skills, classification of verbal and visual stimuli, abstract thinking, and goal-directed planning. SOMA's show additional deficits in visuospatial abilities, perceptual motor skills, and learning and memory. A model is described that explains how the observed cognitive deficits may contribute to the behavioral problems frequently observed in COA's and to their risk of becoming alcoholic themselves. However, only some, but not all, COA's exhibit a cognitive profile predictive of behavioral problems.