Neuronal and Psychological Underpinnings of Pathological Gambling

• Main Author: Patrick Anselme (auth)
• Other Authors: Mike James Ferrar Robinson (auth), Paul Vezina (auth), Bryan F Singer (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media SA 2014
• Series: Frontiers Research Topics
• Subjects: Neurosciences; stress; Gambling; Dopamine; Addiction; ventral striatum; Reward; Conditioning; uncertainty
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

Like in the case of drugs, gambling hijacks reward circuits in a brain which is not prepared to receive such intense stimulation. Dopamine is normally released in response to reward and uncertainty in order to allow animals to stay alive in their environment - where rewards are relatively unpredicta...