Certain medications may aid gambling recovery

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by Change | 16 Dec 2009

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Individuals in need of gambling support could benefit from drugs that decrease urges and raise inhibitions, researchers in the US have discovered.

gambling addiction intervention may come in the form of medications that raise inhibitions and limit urges to part with money.

This is according to researchers at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, who discovered that those with a gambling disorder achieved positive outcomes when treated with medications used for individuals receiving drug addiction support.

Pathological gamblers involved in the study were separated into two groups - those who based their decisions on urges and those who were unable to show normal inhibition levels relating to impulsive behaviour.

The first sub-type responded well to treatments that block the brain opioid system, while the second sub-type successfully responded to medications that act on a particular enzyme, which influences how the brain's prefrontal cortex functions.

Associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Jon Grant said that, by understanding the sub-types, it would be easier to develop individualised treatment for those in need of gambling support.

"When we look at pathological gambling as an addiction and try to understand the sense of urges and inhibitions, we are able to target the treatment with medication more effectively," he explained.

It is estimated that between six and eight million people in the US suffer from a problem related to gambling.

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