Kansas City, MO—The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) announced today more than $500,000 in grant awards to three prestigious institutions for research into the relationship between brain chemistry and gambling disorders. The first national organization devoted exclusively to funding peer-reviewed research on disordered gambling, the NCRG has awarded $3.7 million in grants since its founding in 1996.
The three new awards reflect "the NCRG’s commitment to cutting-edge research that takes advantage of the technological advances in the study of genetics, brain imaging and pharmacology," commented Maj. Gen. Paul Harvey (Ret.), chairman of the NCRG board. According to Christine Reilly, the organization’s executive director, these grants will "complement the research that takes a social-behavioral approach to the problem by identifying biological markers for the disorder and testing new treatment therapies."
Details of the grant awards include:
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Yale School of Medicine received $172,500 in support of "Naltrexone and Citalopram Treatment of Pathological Gambling and Comorbid Alcohol Use or Dependence." The project will test the efficacy of these drugs in the treatment of patients diagnosed with both alcoholism and pathological gambling.
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The University of Connecticut Health Center received a grant of $172,056 in support of "Functional MRI of Prefrontal Cortex Function in Pathological Gamblers." The objective of the project is to ascertain if altered brain function in pathological gamblers affects their risk-taking decision-making.
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The University of Iowa College of Medicine received a grant of $169,929 in support of "A Family-Genetic Study of Pathological Gambling." The project will be the first direct family interview study of pathological gamblers.
The NCRG is a division of the Gaming Entertainment Research and Education Foundation (GEREF). In addition to supporting the NCRG, GEREF’s mission is to raise awareness through education and to develop and promote programs for the prevention and treatment of problem and youth gambling.
For more information about the NCRG and its grant projects, call 978-535-6767.
