Aim: Examine the conceptualization of pathological gambling as an addiction and elucidate common etiological factors and pathways to addiction.

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Rash, C., Weinstock, J., & Van Patten, R. (2016). A review of gambling disorder and substance use disorders. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, 7, 3-13.

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Aim: Evaluate a novel translational (and potentially therapeutic) approach for gambling disorder: inhibitors of the dopamine-degrading enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Several COMT-inhibitor drugs are already FDA-approved, and can be readily tested in human subjects.

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The post Large Grant: “Neural Correlates of Impulsivity and their Modulation by Dopamine in Problem/Pathological Gambling” appeared first on ICRG - International Center for Responsible Gaming.

Aim: Test the hypothesis that (a) that social context acts to amplify value signals associated with positive reward during risky decision making, and (b) that this amplifying effect is greater in adolescents.

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Kwak, Y., Payne, J. W., Cohen, A. L., & Huettel, S. A. (2015). The rational adolescent: Strategic information processing during decision making revealed by eye tracking. Cognitive Development, 36, 20-30.

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The post Large Grant: “Social Influences on the Development of Risky Choice” appeared first on ICRG - International Center for Responsible Gaming.

Aim: Test the efficacy of a novel Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) designed to reduce gambling among college students and delivered via smartphone devices (i.e., cell phones with comprehensive web applications) and Short Messaging Service (SMS) technology.

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The post Large Grant: “Efficacy of a Brief Motivational Intervention Delivered via Smartphone and Short Messaging Service” appeared first on ICRG - International Center for Responsible Gaming.

Aim: Determine the role played by the serotonin 1B receptor in the development of impulsive behavior through a mouse gambling behavioral model.

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Nautiyal, K.M., Tanaka, K.F., Barr, M.M., Tritschler, L., Le Dantec, Y., David, D.J., Gardier, A.M.,  Blanco, C., Hen, R., & Ahmari, S.E.(2015). Distinct Circuits Underlie the Effects of 5-HT1B Receptors on Aggression and Impulsivity, Neuron 86 (3), 813-826. htttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.03.041.

Nautiyal, K., Wang, S., Wall, M., Ahmari, S., Balsam, P., Blanco, C., & Hen, R. (2015). Biological and Behavioral Dissection of the Role of the Serotonin 1B Receptor in Impulsivity. Neuropsychopharmacology, 40, pp. S305-S305

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The post Early Stage Investigator Grant: “Developing a Mouse Model of Pathological Gambling using an Inducible and Tissue-specific Serotonin 1B Receptor Knock-out” appeared first on ICRG - International Center for Responsible Gaming.

Aim: Determine whether elevated risk-taking is a pre-disposing factor to developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms following trauma using a rat model.

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The post Seed Grant: “The Effects of PTSD on Risky Decision-Making” appeared first on ICRG - International Center for Responsible Gaming.

Aim: Develop an animal model in which potential precipitators of relapse can be investigated. The animal model of relapse will not only provide information about the causes, but it will also set the stage for future research that tests behavioral and pharmacological interventions designed to prevent relapse.

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Connolly N.P, Kim, J.S, Tunstall, B.J., & Kearns, D.N. (2015). A test of stress, cues, and re-exposure to large wins as potential reinstaters of suboptimal decision making in rats. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 394. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00394

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The post Seed Grant: “An Animal Model of Relapse to Pathological Gambling” appeared first on ICRG - International Center for Responsible Gaming.

Aim: Investigate whether more skilled online poker players will exhibit greater emotional control and strategic consistency following large wins and losses than their less skilled counterparts, whether lucky or unlucky.

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The post Seed Grant:“How Skill Affects Gambler Responses to Wins and Losses” appeared first on ICRG - International Center for Responsible Gaming.

The Travel Grant supported Dr. Person’s participation in the poster session at the 2013 meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD). She reported on research, funded by the NCRG, revealing that mirtazapine, an atypical antidepressant, reduced risk-taking behavior in rats.

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The post Travel Grant: “The Atypical Antidepressant Mirtazapine Attenuates Gambling-like Behavior in Rodents” appeared first on ICRG - International Center for Responsible Gaming.

The Travel Grant supported Dr. Sescousee’s participation as a speaker at the 2013 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. His research suggests a distorted sensitivity to reward in disordered gamblers. From a clinical perspective, the findings suggest that enhancing the prominence of non-monetary rewards may be a fruitful strategy as part of a therapeutic approach.

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