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The Role of Medication in the Treatment of Pathological Gambling: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice

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About the Course:

After reviewing the literature on the pharmacotherapy of pathological gambling, the author discusses treatment strategies and areas for future research. The clearest indication for medicating the pathological gambler is for the treatment of comorbid disorders, primarily depression, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, there are difficulties in diagnosing the dually disordered gambler. Other current pharmacological approaches involve the use of medication to treat specific symptoms, traits, or symptom clusters; to make negative affects more tolerable; and to reduce cravings. Future approaches will be directed at subgroups of gamblers. This may include genetic profiling, paired with recognition of neurotransmitter deficits, and the identification of clinical syndromes and subtypes. The author also discusses the kindling hypothesis as it may pertain to pathological gambling. The presence of kindling would make a strong case for earlier and more aggressive use of medication and for long-term maintenance to prevent relapse.

This course is based on the reading-based online article, The Role of Medication in the Treatment of Pathological Gambling: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice created by Richard J. Rosenthal

Journal/Publisher:

Journal of Gambling Issues

Publication Date:

February 2004, Issue 10

Course Material Author

Richard J. Rosenthal
Richard J. Rosenthal, MD, has been treating pathological gamblers for almost 25 years. He co-authored the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, was co-investigator on the first genetic study of gamblers, and has published articles and book chapters on the phenomenology of pathological gambling, its course, complications, and treatment. Dr. Rosenthal was a member of the National Academy of Science's Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of Pathological Gambling. He founded the California Council on Problem Gambling and has been actively involved in the National Council. In addition to his private practice and teaching duties, he is co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program.

Richard J. Rosenthal authored the material only, and was not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Course Creator

Dan Rebek, Ph.D.

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially addiction counselors, psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, and nurses who seek knowledge about the role of medication in the treatment of pathological gambling. It is appropriate for all levels of participants' knowledge.

Course Objectives:

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. Discuss biological factors implicated in pathological gambling and the rationale for using medication in its treatment.
  2. Identify findings from the pharmacotherapy literature, including trials of seratonin reuptake inhibitors, mood stabilizers, and opioid antagonists.
  3. Explain models for treatment with medication, including neurotransmitter depletion and imbalances, kindling, withdrawal, cravings, comorbidity, and subtyping.

Disclosures

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

CE Learning Systems, LLC is an independent provider of continuing medical education. CE Learning Systems, LLC has no proprietary or financial interest in medical or healthcare products over which the FDA (USA) or EMA (EU) has regulatory authority.

In accordance with our disclosure policies, CE Learning Systems, LLC is committed to ensuring balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor for all accredited continuing education. These policies include assigning relevance to, and mitigating, all perceived or real conflicts of interest between any individual with control over the content and any ineligible company (commercial interest).

Any individual with control over accredited content, including planner, faculty, and reviewer, is required to globally disclose:

  1. Individual relationship(s) or lack thereof, and its nature, with any/all ineligible company, and
  2. any investigational, off-label, or non-FDA approved content or discussion

CE Learning Systems, LLC has reviewed these disclosures, assigned relevance based on the relationship and scope of content, and identified those with the potential to compromise the goals and educational integrity of the education. Relevant relationships, or lack thereof, are shared with the learner.

Education has been independently peer-reviewed to validate content, mitigate identified conflicts of interest, and ensure:

  1. All recommendations involving clinical medicine is based on evidence that is accepted within the medical profession as adequate justification for their indications and contraindications in the care of patients.
  2. All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in accredited continuing education in support or justification of a patient care recommendation conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis.
  3. Content is appropriate, fair and balanced, unbiased, referenced, and non-promotional.
Planners

The planners have reported the following: There are no relevant disclosures.

Course Material Author

The authors have disclosed any disclosures within the material.

Course Creator: Dan Rebek, Ph.D.
There are no relevant disclosures.
Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

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Course Number 101464
3 CE credit hours
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  • Reading-Based Online
Exam Fee $17.91
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