Drug and gambling addictions are similar: UBC research

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Researchers at UBC may have identified a part of the brain that could be helpful in treating problem gamblers.

A study by the Centre for Gambling Research found that when people looked at images of slot machines and roulette, gamblers would see increased activity in the insula, the same part of the brain stimulated when drug addicts have cravings.

Lead author Eve Limbrick-Oldfield says the link can help when it comes to treating gambling disorder. “We know that the insula is more active when people are experiencing stronger cravings and we know that successful treatments leads to reduced cravings. We can look at the insula signal and if it’s reduced by treatment then we can say the treatment is successful.”

She says the findings are only motivating researchers to find a solution. “It shows that we should be very interested in this when we’re treating people with a gambling problem and it also tells us, that at least in some ways, problem gambling and drug addictions have the same neural mechanisms.”

Study co-author Luke Clark, who is a psychology professor and director of the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, said the findings reveal the powerful effect of cues can have in triggering cravings for problem gamblers.

“Everything from the lights and the sounds of the slot machines to the smell of the casino are cues that, even after years of abstinence from gambling, can trigger a craving,” explains Clark. “Being able to control one’s response to these cues is a crucial part of avoiding relapse.”

The findings were published today in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

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