The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER Vol. 7(26) - Some Things to Consider: Future Directions for Pathological Gambling

During the past 30 years, gambling research has been prolific, with most of this research having been published during the last 10 to 15 years (Eber & Shaffer, 2000). There are, however, many fundamental areas that need further attention and investigation. Recently, Psychiatric Annals devoted an issue to the current status and future needs of treatment and research on pathological gambling. This week’s WAGER reviews an article from this issue (Potenza, 2002). Table 1 summarizes Potenza’s suggestions for the primary public health needs pertaining to gambling. Table 1: Summary of needs identified by Potenza (2002) The areas covered by Potenza... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 7(25) - Gambling at Any Age

Gambling participation among the oldest segment of the American population has grown dramatically. Between 1975 and 1999, the number of individuals over 65 reporting gambling in their lifetimes swelled from 35% to 80% (Kallick et al.,1976; NORC,1999). However, research pertaining to pathological gambling among the elderly is just beginning to emerge. This week the WAGER summarizes a recent study by Nancy Petry that focuses on the gambling experiences and psychosocial problems of older adult pathological gamblers (Petry, 2002). Between August 1998 and July 2000, Petry recruited 343 consecutively admitted individuals entering two Connecticut gambling treatment programs. Participants completed the Addiction... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 7(24) - Personality Traits of a Pathological Gambler

Last week The WAGER reported on a study that found citalopram, a drug frequently used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), to be effective in the treatment of pathological gambling (PG). Though this lends support to the conceptual model that classifies PG as an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, the scientific literature is inconclusive. This WAGER presents more information on the differences between OCD and PG by reporting on a study that compared personality traits of patients with PG to traits of OCD patients (Kim & Grant, 2001). Kim and Grant recruited clinical participants from two pharmacological studies on PG and OCD.... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 7(23) - Treatment for Pathological Gambling: A Pharmacological Approach

Researchers have suggested that pathological gambling (PG) is an obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder (WAGER 4(19)). Proponents hold that disorders such as trichotillomania, PG, Tourette’s syndrome, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can be located on a spectrum characterized by compulsion and impulsivity. If this is the case, medications that are effective for some spectrum disorders might be effective for others. This week the WAGER reviews a recent study that evaluated the effectiveness of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram, commonly used to treat OCD, in the treatment of pathological gambling (Zimmerman, Breen, & Posternak, 2002). Zimmerman, Breen and Posternak recruited... Read more →