 The presence of blackouts was associated to some degree with some indications of severity such as withdrawal and loss of control, but not with duration of problem drinking, physical complications or abnormal liver function.The presence of blackouts was related to some measures of severity of the problem – withdrawal symptoms and loss of control.The hypotheses that blackouts either reflect a general vulnerability to the cerebral consequences of alcohol abuse or are associated with other forms of more enduring cognitive impairment did not receive any support.