Risk-taking and pathological gambling behavior in Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder, which specifically affects striatal neurons of the indirect pathway, resulting in a progressive decline in muscle coordination and loss of emotional and cognitive control. Interestingly, predisposition to pathological gambling and o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2014-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00103/full |
| _version_ | 1818310010869907456 |
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| author | Carla Elisabeth Kalkhoven Cor eSennef Ard ePeeters Ruud eVan Den Bos |
| author_facet | Carla Elisabeth Kalkhoven Cor eSennef Ard ePeeters Ruud eVan Den Bos |
| author_sort | Carla Elisabeth Kalkhoven |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder, which specifically affects striatal neurons of the indirect pathway, resulting in a progressive decline in muscle coordination and loss of emotional and cognitive control. Interestingly, predisposition to pathological gambling and other addictions involves disturbances in the same cortico-striatal circuits that are affected in HD, and display similar disinhibition-related symptoms, including changed sensitivity to punishments and rewards, impulsivity, and inability to consider long-term advantages over short-term rewards. Both HD patients and pathological gamblers also show similar performance deficits on risky decision-making tasks, such as the Iowa Gambling Task. These similarities suggest that HD patients are a likely risk group for gambling problems. However, such problems have only incidentally been observed in HD patients. In this review, we aim to characterize the risk of pathological gambling in HD, as well as the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Especially with the current rise of easily accessible internet gambling opportunities, it is important to understand these risks and provide appropriate patient support accordingly. Based on neuropathological and behavioral findings, we propose that HD patients may not have an increased tendency to seek risks and start gambling, but that they do have an increased chance of developing an addiction once they engage in gambling activities. Therefore, current and future developments of internet gambling possibilities and related addictions should be regarded with care, especially for vulnerable groups like HD patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T07:39:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0f26535e4bdb4df7bcb5760151ad0dcb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T07:39:16Z |
| publishDate | 2014-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-0f26535e4bdb4df7bcb5760151ad0dcb2022-12-21T23:55:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532014-04-01810.3389/fnbeh.2014.0010377126Risk-taking and pathological gambling behavior in Huntington’s DiseaseCarla Elisabeth Kalkhoven0Cor eSennef1Ard ePeeters2Ruud eVan Den Bos3Chardon PharmaChardon PharmaChardon PharmaRadboud University NijmegenHuntington’s Disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder, which specifically affects striatal neurons of the indirect pathway, resulting in a progressive decline in muscle coordination and loss of emotional and cognitive control. Interestingly, predisposition to pathological gambling and other addictions involves disturbances in the same cortico-striatal circuits that are affected in HD, and display similar disinhibition-related symptoms, including changed sensitivity to punishments and rewards, impulsivity, and inability to consider long-term advantages over short-term rewards. Both HD patients and pathological gamblers also show similar performance deficits on risky decision-making tasks, such as the Iowa Gambling Task. These similarities suggest that HD patients are a likely risk group for gambling problems. However, such problems have only incidentally been observed in HD patients. In this review, we aim to characterize the risk of pathological gambling in HD, as well as the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Especially with the current rise of easily accessible internet gambling opportunities, it is important to understand these risks and provide appropriate patient support accordingly. Based on neuropathological and behavioral findings, we propose that HD patients may not have an increased tendency to seek risks and start gambling, but that they do have an increased chance of developing an addiction once they engage in gambling activities. Therefore, current and future developments of internet gambling possibilities and related addictions should be regarded with care, especially for vulnerable groups like HD patients.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00103/fullBasal GangliaGamblingPrefrontal CortexHuntington's diseaserisk-takingdisinhibition |
| spellingShingle | Carla Elisabeth Kalkhoven Cor eSennef Ard ePeeters Ruud eVan Den Bos Risk-taking and pathological gambling behavior in Huntington’s Disease Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Basal Ganglia Gambling Prefrontal Cortex Huntington's disease risk-taking disinhibition |
| title | Risk-taking and pathological gambling behavior in Huntington’s Disease |
| title_full | Risk-taking and pathological gambling behavior in Huntington’s Disease |
| title_fullStr | Risk-taking and pathological gambling behavior in Huntington’s Disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risk-taking and pathological gambling behavior in Huntington’s Disease |
| title_short | Risk-taking and pathological gambling behavior in Huntington’s Disease |
| title_sort | risk taking and pathological gambling behavior in huntington s disease |
| topic | Basal Ganglia Gambling Prefrontal Cortex Huntington's disease risk-taking disinhibition |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00103/full |
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