Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Gambling Addiction Starts in the Brain

Gamblers' brains addiction clue

According to a new study, gambling addicts show the same type of brain response as drug addicts.

The area of the brain that shows activity when rewarded is less active amongst addicts - so in order to increase this activity, the addict needs a higher dosage or drugs or excessive gambling.

Or so says the German study.

The experiment was set up like this:
Brain activity of 12 compulsive gamblers was compared with that of non-gamblers
They were given a game of chance to play - whereby 2 face down cards were shown. The subject would pick one and if it came up red, they would win 1 Euro.

The results showed that activity in the ventral striatum was less active in the pathological gamblers.

Well - put me in that bracket then because I wouldn't get excited about winning 1 euro on a 50:50 card game - and i'm certainly no compulsive gambler.

Not to quibble too much about the weight put on scientific experiments, I don't think anyone is querying the idea that gambling addicts exist - and there no doubt is a physical reaction in the brain that may cause - or be a response - to addictive behaviour.

However, there are so many other variables - usually unquantifiable and external - that can cause addiction and its difficult to put any of them into a controlled study. But I guess, on a positive note - its a start.

posted by jo @ 1:22 PM   0 comments

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