mobile games triggering gambling relapse

alcohol or cocaine) addictions, pathological gamblers exhibit a loss of willpower to resist gambling: they persist in gambling for many ‘good’ reasons (e.g. More specifically, similarly as in substance (e.g.

Pathological gambling is defined as persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior that is characterized by an inability to control gambling that disrupts personal, family, or vocational pursuits (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). However, for some individuals (about 15% of frequent gamblers and about 1.6% of the general population INSERM, 2008 Wardle et al., 2007), gambling can spiral out of control and become a burden. Indeed, gambling is widespread in our society (50–80% of the general population buy a lottery ticket ≤1 time per year INSERM, 2008). Gambling, defined as an activity in which something of value is risked on the outcome of an event when the probability of winning or losing is less than certain (Korn & Shaffer, 1999), is a very popular recreational activity. Based on this theoretical background, we focus on certain clinical interventions that could reduce the risks of both gambling addiction and relapse. As a whole, poor ability to resist gambling is a product of an imbalance between any one or a combination of three key neural systems: (1) an hyperactive ‘impulsive’ system, which is fast, automatic, and unconscious and promotes automatic and habitual actions (2) a hypoactive ‘reflective’ system, which is slow and deliberative, forecasting the future consequences of a behavior, inhibitory control, and self-awareness and (3) the interoceptive system, translating bottom-up somatic signals into a subjective state of craving, which in turn potentiates the activity of the impulsive system, and/or weakens or hijacks the goal-driven cognitive resources needed for the normal operation of the reflective system.

Secondly, we review findings of neurocognitive studies on pathological gambling. Firstly, we describe structural factors of gambling games that could promote the repetition of gambling experiences to such an extent that some individuals may become unable to control their gambling habits. The purpose of this review is to gain more insight on the neurocognitive processes involved in the maintenance of pathological gambling.

Mobile games triggering gambling relapse