A pre-conscious auditory sensory (echoic) memory of about 10 s duration can be studied with the event-related brain potential mismatch negativity (MMN). Previous work indicates that this memory is preserved in abstinent chronic alcoholics for a duration of up to 2 s. The authors' aim was to determine the integrity of auditory sensory memory as indexed by MMN in chronic alcoholism, when this memory has to be functionally active for a longer period of time.
Neurodynamics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron 171, 08035, Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain. cgrau@psi.ub.es
