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Altered dopamine function in pathological gambling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 1997

C. BERGH ,
T. EKLUND ,
P. SÖDERSTEN  and
C. NORDIN
C. BERGH
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Division of Applied Neuroendocrinology and the Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
T. EKLUND
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Division of Applied Neuroendocrinology and the Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
P. SÖDERSTEN
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Division of Applied Neuroendocrinology and the Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
C. NORDIN
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Division of Applied Neuroendocrinology and the Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
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Abstract

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Background. The possibility that monoaminergic neurotransmission is altered in pathological gambling was examined.

Methods. Monoamines and their metabolites were measured in CSF obtained at level L4–5 from ten pathological gamblers and seven controls.

Results. A decrease in dopamine and an increase in 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanilic acid was found. Noradrenaline and its metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol was also increased but 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were unchanged.

Conclusion. It is suggested that the function of the dopaminergic system, possibly mediating positive and negative reward, and the noradrenergic system, possibly mediating selective attention, is changed in pathological gambling.

Type
Brief Report
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , March 1997 , pp. 473 - 475
Copyright
© 1997 Cambridge University Press