Diagnosis, neurobiology, and treatment of pathological gambling.

Full Abstract

Pathological gambling is a disabling disorder that affects at least 2 1/2 million Americans and their families. Although pathological gambling has been characterized as an impulse control disorder, it has also been associated with compulsivity. Essential features of pathological gambling include constantly recurring gambling behavior that is maladaptive, in that personal, familial, and/or vocational endeavors are disrupted. Affective disorders and substance abuse often co-occur. Incidence of suicidality is extremely high. Despite the fact that this disorder is a widespread public health problem, few controlled studies of causes or treatment have been conducted. Preliminary neurobiological studies implicate serotonergic dysfunction in pathological gamblers. Treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as clomipramine and fluvoxamine, may be effective in treating this disorder. Well-defined and controlled clinical trials in large samples of pathological gamblers are needed.

Author information

Author/s: DeCaria, C M (CM); Hollander, E (E); Grossman, R (R); Wong, C M (CM); Mosovich, S A (SA); Cherkasky, S (S);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Journal: The Journal of clinical psychiatry (J Clin Psychiatry), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1996-; vol 57 Suppl 8 (issue ) : pp 80-3; discussion 83-4

Dates: Created 1996/09/05; Completed 1996/09/05; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 8698687, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.