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Serotonin function in pathological gambling: blunted growth hormone response to sumatriptan
Stefano Pallanti1, Silvia Bernardi, Andrea Allen
1Department of Psychiatry, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
|October 15, 2009
Summary
Pathological gamblers exhibit a blunted growth hormone response to Sumatriptan, indicating a serotonergic dysfunction similar to that seen in alcoholics. This suggests underlying neurobiological similarities in behavioral addictions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Pathological gambling is a behavioral addiction and impulse control disorder.
- The serotonergic system (5-HT) is implicated in its neurobiology.
- Previous studies suggest receptor dysfunction but couldn't rule out substance exposure effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional responsivity of 5-HT(1B/1D) receptors in pathological gamblers.
- To compare neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to Sumatriptan between pathological gamblers and healthy controls.
- To explore potential neurobiological links between pathological gambling and alcoholism.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.
- Administered single oral dose of Sumatriptan (100 mg) to 22 pathological gamblers and 19 healthy controls.
- Measured growth hormone, prolactin, mood, craving, and gambling severity, ensuring participants were free from substance abuse.
Main Results:
- Pathological gamblers showed a blunted growth hormone response to Sumatriptan compared to controls.
- No significant differences in prolactin or most behavioral measures were observed.
- Pathological gamblers reported increased anxiety over time.
Conclusions:
- Findings indicate a serotonergic dysfunction in pathological gamblers, evidenced by blunted growth hormone response.
- This dysfunction is similar to that observed in alcoholics, suggesting shared neurobiological pathways.
- Results support the conceptualization of pathological gambling as a behavioral addiction with neurobiological underpinnings.
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