Research into neuropsychological deficit in alcoholics has acquired a special prominence in the last decade. This is due to its importance for both the therapeutic outcome and the therapeutic design. A review of the main studies on memory impairments and on executive cognitive functioning in alcoholics is presented in this article. Results show a disturbance in the memory, especially in the working memory and in the learning strategies, although there are some discrepancies. In addition, data supporting the existence of a dysexecutive syndrome in alcoholics have been reported. Lastly, the influence of the executive cognitive function as a vulnerability factor in developing alcoholism is analysed.