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Current Psychiatry Reports
Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports 5/2010

Open Access 01-10-2010

Brain Imaging Studies in Pathological Gambling

Authors: Ruth J. van Holst, Wim van den Brink, Dick J. Veltman, Anna E. Goudriaan

Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports | Issue 5/2010

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Abstract

This article reviews the neuroimaging research on pathological gambling (PG). Because of the similarities between substance dependence and PG, PG research has used paradigms similar to those used in substance use disorder research, focusing on reward and punishment sensitivity, cue reactivity, impulsivity, and decision making. This review shows that PG is consistently associated with blunted mesolimbic-prefrontal cortex activation to nonspecific rewards, whereas these areas show increased activation when exposed to gambling-related stimuli in cue exposure paradigms. Very little is known, and hence more research is needed regarding the neural underpinnings of impulsivity and decision making in PG. This review concludes with a discussion regarding the challenges and new developments in the field of neurobiological gambling research and comments on their implications for the treatment of PG.
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Metadata
Title
Brain Imaging Studies in Pathological Gambling
Authors
Ruth J. van Holst
Wim van den Brink
Dick J. Veltman
Anna E. Goudriaan
Publication date
01-10-2010
Publisher
Current Science Inc.
Published in
Current Psychiatry Reports / Issue 5/2010
Print ISSN: 1523-3812
Electronic ISSN: 1535-1645
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-010-0141-7

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