did not show a significant loss of white matter, implying that recovery from this loss is possible (Harding et al., 1997). A second post mortem examination of the hippocampus showed a 37% loss of glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and to a lesser extent microglia) in alcoholics (Korbo, 1999). Part of the neurodegeneration in brain is related to ethanol-induced inflammation through the Toll-like receptors and induction of the NF-κB pathway (Alfonso-Loeches et al., 2012; Crews & Nixon, 2009; Qin & Crews, 2012). Neuroinflammation may also play a part in the addiction process because alcohol and stress induce innate immune genes via the NF-κB pathway that lead to changes in behavior that mimic addiction (Blednov et al., 2011; Blednov et al., 2012; Crews et al., 2011; Mayfield et al., 2013). Inflammation has been seen to block neurogenesis through the NF-κB pathway in depression (Koo et al., 2010), and neurogenesis can be restored by blocking inflammation (Monje et al., 2003).
