Serotonergic function and impulsivity in male pathological gamblers.
Item
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Title
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Serotonergic function and impulsivity in male pathological gamblers.
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Identifier
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AAI9605588
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identifier
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9605588
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Creator
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Decaria, Concetta Marie.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Jeffrey Halperin
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Date
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1995
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Psychobiology | Biology, Neuroscience
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Abstract
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A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) challenge procedure was conducted to assess central serotonergic (5-HT) function in 10 male pathological gamblers relative to 10 male nonreferred controls. Selected psychometric measures were employed to assess constructs of impulsivity previously found in pathological gamblers. The relationship between 5-HT function and impulsivity in pathological gamblers was investigated. Results indicated that: (1) male pathological gamblers had a significant increase in prolactin release at 180 and 210 minutes following oral m-CPP (0.5 mg/kg), but not after placebo administration, relative to controls; (2) pathological gamblers had a significantly increased m-CPP "high" response compared to placebo "high" response, relative to controls; and (3) there was no relationship between the challenge measures (i.e., m-CPP prolactin levels and "high" ratings) and the neuropsychological/phenomenological measures (i.e., Matching Familiar Figures Test - Impulsivity-Reflectivity Index scores, Porteus Maze Test Q scores, or Barratt Impulsiveness Scale factor scores). These findings suggest that 5-HT abnormalities may be present in male pathological gamblers as evidenced by 5-HT postsynaptic receptor hypersensitivity (i.e., enhanced prolactin response to m-CPP and enhanced euphorogenic ("high") response to m-CPP). Further, there does not appear to be a relationship between 5-HT postsynaptic receptor hypersensitivity and selected neuropsychological and phenomenological constructs of impulsivity in male pathological gamblers.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
