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Dopamine and Risky Decision-Making in Gambling Disorder

About the Course

Gambling disorder is a behavioral addiction associated with impairments in value-based decision-making and cognitive control. These functions are thought to be regulated by dopamine within fronto-striatal circuits, but the role of altered dopamine neurotransmission in the etiology of gambling disorder remains controversial. Preliminary evidence suggests that increasing frontal dopamine tone might improve cognitive functioning in gambling disorder. We therefore examined whether increasing frontal dopamine tone via a single dose of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor tolcapone would reduce risky choice in human gamblers.

This course is based on the reading-based online article, Dopamine and Risky Decision-Making in Gambling Disorder created by Jan Peters, PhD and Taylor Vega in 2020.

Publication Date:

May/June 2020, 7(3) ENEURO.0461-19.2020 1–13 2020

Course Material Authors

Course Material Authors authored the material only, and were 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.

Jan Peters, PhD
Dr. Peters is a full professor at the University of Cologne. His work focuses on neuroscience, neuroimaging and cognitive neuropsychology. He has published more than 70 works in peer reviewed journals and serves as a peer reviewer on multiple journal boards.
Taylor Vega
Taylor Vega is a clinical researcher at University of California, San Francisco. Her work focuses on dopamine and gambling. She has had multiple works published in peer reviewed journals.

Course Creator

Abimbola Farinde
Dr. Farinde is a professor at Columbia State University and has published multiple articles about psychopharmacotherapy. Dr. Farinde has worked as a clinical specialist for the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood. As a devoted clinical pharmacy specialist and addictions counselor who excels in all clinical environments, she has worked with active duty soldiers with dual diagnoses of a traumatic brain injury and a psychiatric disorder providing medication therapy management and disease state management. Dr. Farinde has also worked with mentally impaired and developmentally disabled individuals at a state supported living center. The breadth of her clinical practice allows her to bring a unique perspective to her educational material. In 2021, Dr. Farinde was awarded the Davida Coady Gorham Medical Professional of the Year award. She is an adjunct mentor with California Southern University.

Recommended For:

Counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and social workers. This course is appropriate for all levels of knowledge.

Course Objectives:

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. Understand the elements of what defines a gambling disorder
  2. Recognize the importance of the role of dopamine in gambling disorder
  3. Identify the behavioral implications and cognitive impairment that can be associated with gambling disorder
  4. Analyze the results of the article discussed by Peters and colleagues in their 2020 article

Disclosure to Learners

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Faculty: Abimbola Farinde

There are no relevant disclosures.

Commercial support

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

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Course Number 103162
1.25 CE credit hour
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  • Reading-Based Online
Exam Fee $7.46
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