Communication problems may linger for alcoholics even after they give up drinking, study suggests

A survey that measured emotional communication among alcoholics found that long after they give up drinking, they still struggle to control their voice pitch and relay subtle emotional cues.

The study, published by the Research Society on Alcoholism, first surveyed 30 people and asked them to say sentences in a certain emotional tone. Of these 30, 15 had been diagnosed with alcohol dependence and had stopped drinking at least a year before the survey. The other 15 were a control group with no alcohol-addiction history.

The second part of the study asked listeners to analyze the attempted emotion in the sentences. It found that the persons with alcohol addiction had more trouble expressing vocal emotion.

The researchers said in a press release that it is unknown if this is a result of brain damage from excessive drinking that affects motor control and vocal cords, but more research should look into the possibility.