This is very interesting!
2 years ago my sister had brain surgery to cure a seizure disorder...highly invasive and risky with no guarantee of success. They removed a portion of her brain about the size of a gold ball. I have seen no difference in her personality since then, and she experienced a 100% cure
Just thought i would add this as a sign of the resiliancy of the brain as well.
I have noticed a definite increase in my thinking in the past month or so...its nice, I used to pride myself on being pretty sharp and I know I lost a lot of that towards the end of my drinking, so it's very hopeful that I am catching glimmers of it again.
I also do a lot of brain teasers to help rebuild the damage I did from all the booze.