Scientists Develop Animal Model To Study Gambling Addictions

UBC researchers have created the world's first animal laboratory experiment to successfully model human gambling.

An animal laboratory experiment modeled on human gambling? Well, UBC researchers have created the world's first such laboratory which will help them develop and test new treatments for gambling addictions, a devastating condition that affects millions worldwide.

In addition to showing that rats can "play the odds," the study finds that gambling decisions can be impaired or improved with drugs that affect brain dopamine and serotonin levels suggesting that these neurotransmitters may moderate gambling behaviour.

Treatment For Gambling Addiction On The Anvil
University of British Columbia researchers have made a new development that has put them a step closer to creating and testing new treatments for gambling addictions.

"For most individuals, gambling is enjoyable and harmless, but for others, it is as destructive as being addicted to drugs," says Catharine Winstanley, an assistant professor in UBC's Dept. of Psychology, whose study was published today in the Nature journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

"This new model is an important next step because the neurobiological basis of gambling is still poorly understood and few treatment options exist," adds Winstanley, noting that gamblers experience higher rates of divorce, suicide and crime than non-gamblers. "It brings us a step closer to the goal of drug-based treatments for people suffering from gambling disorders."

For the study, rats had a limited amount of time in which to choose between four gambling options which were associated with the delivery of different numbers of sugar pellets. If the animals won the gamble, they received the associated reward. However, if they lost, they experienced a time-out period during which reward could not be earned. High-risk options offered more potential sugar pellets but also the possibility of more frequent and longer timeouts. Rats learned how to be successful gamblers, selecting the option with the optimum level of risk and reward to maximize their sugar pellet profits.

Campaign Against Gambling Machines In Australian Pubs
A major campaign has been unleashed against Woolworths and Coles, two major chains that operate gambling machines in Australia.

The study found that rodents treated with drugs that reduced their levels of serotonin levels – associated with impulse control in humans –dramatically reduced their ability to play the odds. A drug that reduced dopamine levels – associated with pleasure in humans – improved their ability to optimize profits. The findings are consistent with recent clinical findings in humans, helping to validate the technique as a model for studying human gambling behaviours.

"We hope this will speed up the development of gambling treatments for humans by giving us a working model to explore drugs and therapies," says Winstanley.

Legalized Gambling Threatens U.S. Security
A book has warned that a surge of legalized gambling in the last two decade is affecting security and military readiness in the United States.

In future studies, Winstanley says she will seek to replicate other aspects of human gambling behaviours, including "loss-chasing" – when a gambler follows a loss with a high-risk gamble – and the "near-miss effect," when a near-win motivates individuals to continue gambling.

Gambling Addict Jailed for Fraudulently Raising Mortgage in the Name of Her Husband
A former mayor in the UK, addicted to online gambling, has been jailed for stealing cash and fraudulently raising mortgage in the name of her husband.

Source-Eurekalert
TAN