Bit depth of CS2 layer masks in 16 bit files

Is the layer mask itself in a 16 bit CS2 file an 8 bit or 16 bit item?

I believe that in the past, the layer masks have been 8 bit even when the file is 16 bit, but perhaps this has changed in CS2?

David Madison

Since the advent of 16 bit layers, the layer masks and channels of 16 bit documents are also 16 bit. The active selections however, are limited to 8 bits. So, do your work in layer masks and channels to get your selections optimized...

All channels in a document are the same depth, and the layer mask is just another channel, as is the transparency, alpha channels, spot channels, etc.