Diagnosis and treatment of pathologic gambling
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Updated: Sep 26, 2026

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Online Gamers
Published on: November 9, 2019
Erica D Sood1, Stefano Pallanti, Eric Hollander
1Department of Psychiatry, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Abstract:
Pathologic gambling (PG) is an impulse control disorder characterized by recurrent and maladaptive gambling behaviors that significantly disrupt the patient's functioning in the personal, familial, or vocational spheres. Pathologic gambling is estimated to currently affect 1% to 3.4% of the adult US population and is frequently comorbid with substance abuse or dependence, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and affective disorders. Studies show evidence for the involvement of the serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic systems in the etiology of PG. Medication treatment studies performed in PG patients demonstrated the short-term efficacy of various serotonin reuptake inhibitors, opioid antagonists, and mood stabilizers in a subsample of adult pathologic gamblers who seek treatment. This review focuses on recent research examining the neurobiology and treatment of PG.
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