Psychiatry related information on Gambling

• We examined the association of alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and pathological gambling (South Oaks Gambling Screen) in 1,147 young adults; 3.1% were classified as pathological gamblers [1].
• To determine whether we could replicate these associations we genotyped 737 individuals from four different groups of control subjects, and 707 index subjects from four different groups of impulsive, compulsive addictive behaviors including substance abuse, pathological gambling, TS, and ADHD [2].
• This paper describes a pedigree with Huntington's disease (HD), in which three cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and two cases of pathological gambling (PG) were identified [3].
• Self-assessment of Happiness, Propensity for Boredom, and Loneliness, significantly predicted scores on the South Oaks Gambling Screen, with Unhappiness a significant independent predictor of pathological gambling [4].

High impact information on Gambling

• We investigated psychobiological substrates of pathological gambling by measuring levels of norepinephrine, monoamine metabolites, and peptides in cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and urine [5].
• OBJECTIVE: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be effective for some patients with pathological gambling, but those with comorbid conditions, such as bipolar spectrum disorders, may relapse during treatment [6].
• METHOD: Forty pathological gambling patients with bipolar spectrum disorders entered a 10-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment study of sustained-release lithium carbonate [6].
• Concurrent positive association between pathological gambling and functional DNA polymorphisms at the MAO-A and the 5-HT transporter genes [7].
• This study was conducted to detect a possible association of MAOA and/or MAOB genes with pathological gambling (PG) [8].

Chemical compound and disease context of Gambling

• OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluvoxamine in the treatment of pathological gambling [9].
• Short-term single-blind fluvoxamine treatment of pathological gambling [9].
• Outcome was defined as time in treatment (proportion of maximum scheduled time) and proportion of cocaine-positive urine samples during treatment.RESULTS: Pathological gambling had a lifetime occurrence rate of 8.0% and a current (past month) occurrence of 3.8% [10].
• A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of paroxetine in the treatment of pathological gambling [11].
• CONCLUSION: Findings from the present study suggest the efficacy of both lithium carbonate and valproate in the treatment of pathological gambling [12].

Gene context of Gambling

• Pathological gambling and DNA polymorphic markers at MAO-A and MAO-B genes [8].
• Our results are consistent with the existence of a significant association between genetic variants at a DRD4 gene polymorphism and pathological gambling (chi 2 = 11.82; P = 0.037) [13].
• However, chi-square analysis of those carrying any 5 to 8 allele versus noncarriers was significant for pathological gambling (p <.0001), ADHD (p </=.01) and the total index group (p </=.0004) [2].
• Pathological gambling was officially defined as a psychiatric illness by APA in 1980 [14].
• A study of the dopamine D2 receptor gene in pathological gambling [15].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Gambling

• OBJECTIVE: Several open-label and double-blind studies have suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of pathological gambling [16].
• Lithium and valproate treatment of pathological gambling: a randomized single-blind study [12].
• In terms of pharmacotherapy, three classes of psychotropic drugs have been used to treat adult pathological gambling - serotonin reuptake inhibitors, opioid antagonists, and mood stabilizers [17].
• The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) was originally developed to screen for pathological gambling in clinical settings; however, its use has expanded to other purposes, settings, and populations, including prevalence studies of pathological gambling in the general population [18].

References