The Role of Impulsivity and Addiction in Gambling Behaviors: How Applied Neuroscience Research Can Help in the Monitoring and Management of Mental Health Issues

One in five Americans experience symptoms associated with at least one mental health disorder every year. These include behavioral addictions, which have long been overlooked despite their similar neural bases with substance addictions. Gambling addiction, a type of behavioral addiction, deserves particular attention given the significant negative effects, this addiction has on financial and interpersonal health. The purpose of this paper is to review the available literature concerning the behavioral and neural processes involved in gambling addiction, including: the anticipation of reward, the role of dopamine, and the neural substrates of the decision-making processes involved in gambling addiction. Market research has also identified solutions that integrate applied neuroscience and self-tracking systems to monitor and manage mental health issues associated with gambling addiction. The authors then propose a gambling treatment-focused mobile app solution that addresses outstanding issues with a special design aimed at reversing plasticity in order to relieve the effects of gambling addiction. .

Effects of Emotion on Decision-Making ofMethamphetamine Users: Based on theEmotional Iowa Gambling Task

The relapse of methamphetamine (meth) is associated with decision-making dysfunction. The present study aims to investigate theimpact of different emotions on the decision-making behavior of meth users. We used 2 (gender: male, female) × 3 (emotion:positive, negative, neutral) × 5 (block: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) mixed experiment design. The study involved 168 meth users who weredivided into three groups: positive emotion, negative emotion and neutral emotion group, and tested by the emotional IowaGambling Task (IGT). The IGT performance of male users exhibited a decreasing trend from Block 1 to Block 3. Female methusers in positive emotion had the best performance in IGT than females in the other two groups. In positive emotion, the IGTperformance of female meth users was significantly better than that of men. Female meth users in positive emotion had betterdecision-making than those in negative or neutral emotion. Female meth users in positive emotion had better decision-makingperformance than males in positive emotion. In negative and neutral emotions, there was no significant gender difference indecision-making.

Online Gambling Addiction in Parakou (Benin, 2022)

Introduction: Online gambling is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. With its well-crafted visual and audio marketing, it is attracting more and more young people in Africa, where problems linked to employment and poverty are undermining youth. The consequences of gaming-related practices for health in general, and mental health in particular, are not negligible. The aim of this study was to measure the extent of the phenomenon within an urban community in Benin. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study with analytical aim conducted in the general population of Parakou, northern Benin, from December 2021 to November 2022. A self-administered questionnaire incorporating DSM 5 criteria for pathological gambling was used to collect data. Results: A total of 576 subjects divided into 30 clusters of 19 to 20 individuals consented to participate in the study. The proportion of gamblers was 30.56%. The prevalence of pathological gambling calculated according to DSM 5 criteria was 24.65% [21.31% - 28.33%] in the general population. The prevalence of severe pathological gambling was estimated at 8.16% [5.96% - 10.44%] in the general population. The prevalence of anxiety was 28.30% ([24.62% - 31.98%]), compared with 15.10% ([12.18% - 18.02%]) for depression. Factors with a significant association with pathological gambling were: age, access to online gambling, access to video games, exposure to gambling advertisement, having gambling friends, debt accumulation. A statistically significant link was also found between pathological gambling and anxiety/depression. Conclusion: The reality of pathological gambling in northern Benin calls for effective preventive action among vulnerable groups at national level, involving various actors at different levels.

Pilot Study of Problem Gambling in Specialized Substance Use Disorder Treatment—High Lifetime Prevalence of Problem Gambling in Opioid Maintenance Treatment Patients

Problem gambling is over-represented in patients treated for substance use disorders, but substance-specific prevalence of problem gambling is rarely reported. In specialized addiction treatment facilities for opioid maintenance treatment and for alcohol and prescription drug dependence, respectively, 129 patients were screened for problem gambling using the NODS-CLiP. The lifetime prevalence of problem gambling was markedly higher in opioid maintenance treatment (61 percent) than in alcohol and prescription drug dependence treatment (11 percent, p < 0.001). When controlling for gender and age, problem gambling remained significantly associated with opioid maintenance treatment. The present study demonstrated a very high prevalence of lifetime problem gambling in opioid maintenance treatment patients. This calls for active screening for problem gambling in substance use disorder patients, and mainly in treatment for opioid dependence.

液芯光纤及用Gambling法确定其模变换系数

光纤通讯中,模变换直接影响带宽和功率的模间分布。在光纤传感中,模变换还对干涉条纹有很大影响。因此,对模类型及模变换系数的研究是非常重要的。理论和实验表明,模变换主要来源于光纤结构不均匀以及内应力、外部压力、弯曲等。

Possible effect of blonanserin on gambling disorder:A clinical study protocol and a case report

BACKGROUND Gambling disorder is characterized by excessive and recurrent gambling and can have serious negative social consequences.Although several psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches have been used to treat gambling disorder,new treatment strategies are needed.Growing evidence suggests that dopamine D3 receptor plays a specific role in the brain reward system.AIM To investigate if blonanserin,a dopamine D3 receptor antagonist,would be effective in reducing gambling impulses in patients with gambling disorder.METHODS We developed a study protocol to measure the efficacy and safety of blonanserin as a potential drug for gambling disorder,in which up to 12 mg/d of blonanserin was prescribed for 8 wk.RESULTS A 37-year-old female patient with gambling disorder,intellectual disability,and other physical diseases participated in the pilot study.The case showed improvement of gambling symptoms without any psychotherapy.However,blonanserin was discontinued owing to excessive saliva production.CONCLUSION This case suggests that blonanserin is potentially an effective treatment for patients with gambling disorder who resist standard therapies,but it also carries a risk of adverse effects. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings.

Misperceptions of peer gambling norms among adolescents: Analysis of a national sample in Finland

Introduction: Misperceptions of peer drinking norms are widely documented in the US student populations and are associated with increased personal consumption. Few studies have examined misperceptions of peer gambling, and none of these have been conducted among adolescents in the European context. In a national sample, we examined misperceptions of peer gambling in Finland. Tenets of the social norms approach form a framework for discussion of the findings. Methods: Participants were 4526 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years who completed the nationwide Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey in 2011. Main measures were gambling behavior and the perception of same age-sex peers’ gambling. Misperception was an overestimation of the frequency of gambling by others compared to the actual frequency of gambling. Results: Adolescents held substantial misperceptions of peer gambling, imagining they gambled much more than they actually did. Age, sex, and gambling behavior were correlated with the perceptions. The extent of misperception was greatest among monthly gamblers, whereas non-gamblers and daily gamblers were more accurate in their perceptions. Estimations of peers’ gambling frequency were more accurate in boys than in girls and among those aged 12 years than among older adolescents. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that adolescent gambling prevention efforts could benefit from adopting a social norms approach;that is, correcting gambling-related misperceptions might discourage gambling and protect adolescents from adopting more severe gambling patterns.

New Sino-US Strategic Gambling and China’s Strategy

Since confidence is fading and anxiety is increasing in the US,America’s China policy has become more radical. In the short term, the US has the upper hand and China is in a relatively passive position. In the medium-and long-term, there will be more balance between them. This current strategic gambling between China and the US will be the major issue of international politics in the first half of the 21 st century and the most prominent external challenge China faces. China needs to make strategic adjustments but the gamble may be worthwhile in correcting imbalance in the international order and in the co-evolution of the two countries.

Examination of Screening of the Pachinko/Pachislot Playing Disorder Based on Gambling Disorder Scales

Pachinko and pachislot are unique forms of entertainment that dominate gambling activities in Japan. In this study, a web survey and interview were conducted in order to adjust three scales (DSM-5, SOGS, and PGSI) to pachinko/pachislot and explore an appropriate cutoff point for each of them. Using the assessment result in the interview as the outcome, the ROC curve of each scale was examined. The cutoff points were 4, 7, and 8 and the area under the curves (AUC) were 0.730, 0.783, and 0.724 for the DSM-5, SOGS, and PGSI, respectively. The study found that the type and situation of gambling influenced cutoff points in different ways depending on the questions asked in the scale.

Gambling and Impulsivity: An Exploratory Study in a French Adolescent Population

Pathological gambling can be a serious problem, more so to a vulnerable population such as adolescents and youth. This study aims to investigate the links between gambling behaviours and impulsivity through a multidimensional approach in a French adolescent population. A secondary aim of this study is to find out the prevalence of pathological gambling behaviour amongst adolescents who are not meant to have legal access to such games. We administered the UPPS Impulsive behaviour Scale (UPPS-P) and the Canadian Pathological Gambling Index CPGI to 1800 adolescents aged between 11 to 17 years. Our results indicate that 33% of subjects have gambled at least once during the last year and that girls gamble as much as boys (17% and 16% respectively). Scratch games are the most common games played by adolescents (81.4%). We also notice that 1.6% of our population has problematic gambling behaviour. Although we found that many dimensions of impulsivity (Urgency, Positive urgency and Sensation seeking) are correlated to gambling behaviour, only sensation seeking seems to be a good predictor of pathological gambling severity. These results can be taken into account in the development of prevention programs.

Pathological Gambling after Administration of Pramipexole

Parkinson’s disease is a common condition usually treated by dopaminergic agents and many behavioral abnormalities such as impulse control disorders (ICD) are connected with that usage. Pathological gambling, a form of ICD includes is a clinical condition that disrupts personal, family and occupational activity. Pramipexole a D2 AND D3 agonist may be associated with pathological gambling. We present a case of 74-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD). His doctor advised him to take pramipexole 0.18 mg/p.o./day. A month after the onset of treatment he manifested a behavior of pathological gambling. After the discontinuation of the drug all this behavior was interrupted.

GAMBLING ROCKS!

More than a few wealthy businessmen have bet it all on a single stone. Most lose, but for a lucky few, jade treasures lurk beneath the surface. It's one of the newest and oldest forms of gambling; take the chance, cut the stone.

My Views on Gambling

国人曾经长期生活在极“左”思潮雄占上风的年代,那个年代好像很讲辩证法,其实不然!对于一些社会敏感问题不敢贸然发表议论,若是要发点议论,也总是尽量往“左”靠,战战兢兢,生怕被人戴上一顶什么帽子。 比如,若要对Gambling作一番议论,那必须“一棍子”将这种丑恶至极的社会现象打死!有谁敢冒天下之大不韪对“赌博”说一两句“好话”(注:实际上是对“赌博”作一客观公允的分析而已)?本文却不然。

Games of Chance and Money of the Togolese National Lottery in Lomé

Introduction: The addiction to games of chance and money is frequently encountered among some players. The general objective of this study was to describe the level of the gambling addiction among the players of the Togolese National Lottery (LONATO) in the city of Lomé. Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study through non-random sampling by convenience surveys, conducted on October 09, 2019 in 20 LONATO plying sites which affected 611 players. The screening was done using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) questionnaire. Results: Of the 611 players surveyed, 55% were aged 18 to 35 years with an average age of 36 years and the extremes ranging from 14 to 78 years. The male gender was in the majority (84.26%). The prevalence of pathological gambling was 62.52%. Among the pathological gamblers, 16.89% had a family history of pathological gambling, 19.00% had a mood disorder, 28.50% had excessive alcoholism, and 17.15% consumed another psychoactive substance. Cannabis was the most consumed substance (6.87%) followed by tobacco (6.07%) and soporific (6.07%). More than half of players (62.03%) thought that pathological gambling is not a disease. Conclusion: The pathological gambling is a global phenomenon and a reality in Togo. Raising everyone’s awareness will reduce its negative impact on the players.

纤维矿物粉尘在Gamble溶液中的溶解行为

本文用人工配制的Gamble溶液和三个酸度系列 ,研究了 6对粉尘在模拟人体环境下 96d的溶解特征和生物持久性。结果表明 :不同粉尘中铁元素的溶解速率多数出现两个峰值区 ,三八面体结构型粉尘中铁与镁元素溶解同步。高镁矿物粉尘溶解速率在第一阶段多出现峰值 ;沸石、硅灰石的钙溶解速率比较稳定 ,硅灰石在低 pH值区表现出前高后低的特点 ;Si在Gam ble溶液中的溶解峰点在pH5体系中出现在 48d以前 ,在pH7体系中出现在 48d以后 ;Al则表现为在pH3和 pH5体系中易于出溶而在pH7体系中难于出溶。纤维矿物粉尘中的所有元素在Gamble溶液中的累计溶解总量均随时间的增长而增加 ;纤状样品的溶解总量多大于土状样品。溶液作用过程中纤维矿物表面有裂开、凹蚀、脱皮现象并趋向分散或折断 ;片状粉尘颗粒溶解速率与台阶步密度或与含铁样品的氧化速率正相关 ,溶解总量基本与体系酸度和有机离子的总量成正比。富钙、镁或铝的粉尘溶解速率高于富钾、硅的粉尘。环境的低 pH值、高溶解氧量或氧化反应、高盐溶液均可促进溶解。

可吸入性超细石英粉尘在模拟人体体液中溶解特性

为研究石英颗粒被吸入人体后在体内的溶解行为,以Gamble溶液模拟人体体液环境,研究了粒径中值d50为2.8μm的石英粉尘在3个酸度的Gamble溶液中溶解特性.结果表明,石英颗粒中Si的溶出量随溶解时间的延长,不断增大,但在较强的酸性环境下,存在一定程度的溶解抑制.SEM观察发现,超细石英颗粒在Gamble溶液中表面被溶蚀,表面和边壁均出现了不同程度的凹蚀、脱皮现象,但颗粒内部溶蚀现象不明显.FTIR结果表明,超细石英颗粒表面经Gamble溶液溶蚀后其Si-O-Si反对称伸缩振动发生一定程度的改变.XRD物相表征显示超细石英颗粒溶蚀前后物相特征无明显变化,但Rietveld结构精修结果表明溶解后超细石英颗粒晶胞参数和晶胞体积均有压缩,可见颗粒表面硅可能由结晶的有序结构转化为无定形结构,后溶解于体液中.超细石英颗粒在模拟人体体液中溶蚀现象显著,但未引起整个颗粒晶体结构的崩塌,颗粒表面溶解于体液中,引起p H值增大并趋于稳定于偏碱性环境,可吸入性超细石英颗粒溶蚀后暴露出的新鲜表面以及溶解于体液中的硅对人体健康造成潜在的严重威胁.

油樟叶挥发油水乳剂制备工艺的优化

为了提高油樟[Cinnamomum longepaniculatum(Gamble)N.Chao]叶挥发油的水溶性及其在制剂过程中的稳定性,采用单因素试验和正交试验确定油樟叶挥发油水乳剂配比,并对该配方产品进行验证试验,包括水乳剂类型鉴别、物理性能、稳定性、持泡性等,检验产品的合格性。结果表明,油樟叶挥发油水乳剂最佳乳化工艺确定为乳化剂亲水亲油平衡值HLB为12.0、乳化剂添加比例为4%、油樟叶挥发油添加比例为20%,所得乳剂的离心稳定性常数Ke为20.80%。此配方所得油樟叶挥发油水乳剂稳定性好,可有效减少挥发油的损失。

奥氏黄檀的化学特性研究

对奥氏黄檀(Dalbergia oliveri Gamble.)的化学成分、金属元素含量及酸碱性质进行测定分析,结果表明,奥氏黄檀含有较高的纤维素,丰富的Ca元素,属于酸性木材;对奥氏黄檀苯醇和甲醇2种溶剂抽提液进行气质联用(GC-MS)分析,结果表明,奥氏黄檀共检测出32种化合物成分大于1%,其中,苯醇抽提液共检测出14种化合物,甲醇抽提液检测出19种化合物,含量较高的是醇类和酮类化合物。

On Different Categories of Cybercrime in China

Cybercrimes have become an eye-catching social problem in not only China but also other countries of the world. Cybercrimes can be divided into two categories and different kinds of cybercrimes shall be treated differently. In this article, some typical cybercrimes are introduced in detail in order to set forth the characteristics of those cybercrimes. However, to defeat cybercrimes, joint efforts from countries all over the world shall be made.

Traumatic Brain Injury in Prisoners: Relation to Risky Decision-Making, Aggression and Criminal Behavior

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate if Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is related to decision-making deficits as well as to heightened levels of (reactive) aggression and criminal behavior in a group of Dutch male prisoners. Characteristics of aggression were assessed using three self-report questionnaires as well as systematic staff observations, complemented with data from criminal records. A semi-structured interview was conducted to rate lifetime prevalence of TBI and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) was completed to assess risky decision-making. Out of the total of 133 participants, 74 (55.6%) reported having sustained one or more incidents with potential TBI. Statistical comparisons between offenders with and without TBI indicated that the offenders with TBI reported significantly higher levels of (reactive) aggression on two out of three questionnaires than offenders without TBI (p-values ranging from 0.003 to 0.008), but no significant differences were found on staff observations of aggression and on the IGT. The higher conviction rates in offenders with TBI compared to the non-TBI group showed a trend. The confirmed relationship between TBI and higher aggressive tendencies is especially relevant for forensic populations due to the high prevalence rates of TBI in offenders. How this relates to specific cognitive processes remains unclear. The lack of a statistical difference between offenders with and without TBI on the IGT is in contrast with literature in non-offender samples, but seems to be in line with other studies in forensic populations.