Chronic alcoholism is a diverse and heterogeneous disorder that can be dichotomized into cognitively intact and cognitively impaired subgroups. At a molecular level, ethanol has been shown to have both acute and chronic effects on: Membrane biophysical properties, Membrane composition and metabolism, Protein phosphorylation, Lipid metabolic signaling, Lipoprotein transport of cholesterol. Actual molecular underpinnings are determined for cognitive impairment seen in some chronic alcoholism subjects including molecular/metabolic alterations of phospholipid and ganglioside metabolisms.