Neurobiology of Pathological Gambling
Neurobiology of Pathological Gambling
This chapter demonstrates that impulse control disorders (ICDs) and substance use disorders may share certain neurobiological features and processes, and suggests that certain neurodevelopmental features may predispose youth to developing problematic addictive behavior. It shows that the same neurodevelopmental processes which contribute to the necessary experimentation, learning, and adaptation of adolescence needed to enable children to move toward adulthood are those that render adolescents vulnerable to addiction and ICDs such as pathological gambling (PG). Neurotransmitters that promote PG are described, such as serotonin, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, norepinephrine, opioid, neuropeptides, and monoamine oxidase. The chapter also shows that a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors leads to PG.
Keywords: impulse control disorders, substance use disorders, pathological gambling, addiction, neurotransmitters, neurobiological features
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