Heavy chronic alcohol consumption causes numerous somatic diseases (e.g., liver disease and cancer) [3, 4] and poses damage to the central nervous system (CNS) [5, 6]. As a consequence, impaired cognitive functioning and, in severe cases, alcohol-related dementia have been frequently described in AUD patients [7]. Several processes might account for neurodegeneration in AUD, such as the toxic effects of ethanol and its metabolites itself as well as the frequent co-existing nutritional or vitamin deficiencies [8]. Moreover, dysregulations of central stress response systems due to chronic alcohol consumption and inflammatory mechanisms are also discussed as potential causes of CNS damages in AUD [9–11].
