Addicted Brain: Brains Role in Gambling Disorder

Course overview

Recently, our understanding of the brains role in addictive behaviors has improved dramatically. Because addiction is a consequence of fundamental changes in brain function, the goal of treatment must be to reverse or compensate for those brain changes. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the brains role in addictive behaviors such as gambling disorders is vital for the development and implementation of effective treatments. This presentation provides a detailed discussion of addiction and the addiction cycle and compares gambling disorders with substance use disorders, focusing mainly on the role of dopamine in maintaining these behavioral disorders. Areas of the prefrontal cortex and other regions of the brain implicated in gambling disorder and other addictive disorders are examined. Finally, contemporary theories, such as Impaired Response Inhibition and Salience Attribution are briefly discussed.