Abstract
We investigated psychobiological substrates of pathological gambling by measuring levels of norepinephrine, monoamine metabolites, and peptides in cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and urine. Pathological gamblers had a significantly higher centrally produced fraction of cerebrospinal fluid levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol as well as significantly greater urinary outputs of norepinephrine than controls. These results suggest that pathological gamblers may have a functional disturbance of the noradrenergic system. This system has been postulated to underlie sensation-seeking behaviors, aspects of which are thought to be abnormal among pathological gamblers.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Brain / metabolism
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Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / metabolism
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Depressive Disorder / complications
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Depressive Disorder / metabolism
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Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / complications
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Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / metabolism
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Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / physiopathology*
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Dopamine / metabolism
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Female
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Gambling* / psychology
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Glycols / cerebrospinal fluid*
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Homovanillic Acid / metabolism
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Humans
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Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / metabolism
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Male
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Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / cerebrospinal fluid*
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Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / metabolism
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Norepinephrine / metabolism
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Norepinephrine / physiology*
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Personality
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Risk-Taking*
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Serotonin / metabolism
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Serotonin / physiology
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Somatostatin / metabolism
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Sympathetic Nervous System / physiopathology*
Substances
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Glycols
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Serotonin
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Somatostatin
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Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol
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Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
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Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
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Dopamine
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Norepinephrine
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Homovanillic Acid