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Impulsivity and Sustained Attention in Pathological Gamblers: Influence of Childhood ADHD History

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Abstract

Pathological gambling (PG) has been associated to both impulsiveness and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in different studies. Our objective was to compare different impulsivity and sustained attention variables, using both behavioural tasks and self-administered questionnaires, in a group of pathological gamblers with a history of childhood ADHD (PG-ADHD; n = 16), a group of pathological gamblers without this history (PG-non-ADHD; n = 39), and a control group (n = 40). As instruments of measure, we used the stop signal task (to evaluate inhibitory control/impulsivity), the differential reinforcement of Low Rate Responding Task (delay of gratification/impulsivity) and the Continuous Performance Test (sustained attention). The Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) was used as a self-administered questionnaire to measure impulsiveness.

Our results show that patients in the PG-ADHD group exhibit a significantly lower capacity to delay gratification than those in the PG-non-ADHD and control groups, and less inhibitory control than patients in the PG-non-ADHD group. On self-administered questionnaires such as the BIS-11 the PG-ADHD group obtained higher scores than the PG-non-ADHD and control groups. However, no differences were found with respect to sustained attention using the CPT.

Our results suggest a possible selective implication of the prefrontal cortex in PG, which would be especially evident in those with a childhood history of ADHD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre Servicio de Psiquiatría. Unidad de Patología Dual y Conductas Adictivas, Avda Córdoba s/n, 28041, Madrid, Spain

    R. Rodriguez-Jimenez, M. A. Jimenez-Arriero, G. Ponce, R. Monasor, M. Aragües, J. Hoenicka & T. Palomo

  2. Dpto. Psicología Básica, Clínica y Psicobiología. Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain

    C. Avila

  3. Servicios de Salud Mental, Retiro, Madrid, Spain

    M. Jimenez & G. Rubio

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  1. R. Rodriguez-Jimenez
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  2. C. Avila
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  3. M. A. Jimenez-Arriero
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  4. G. Ponce
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  5. R. Monasor
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  6. M. Jimenez
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  7. M. Aragües
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  8. J. Hoenicka
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  9. G. Rubio
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  10. T. Palomo
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Correspondence to R. Rodriguez-Jimenez.

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Rodriguez-Jimenez, R., Avila, C., Jimenez-Arriero, M.A. et al. Impulsivity and Sustained Attention in Pathological Gamblers: Influence of Childhood ADHD History. J Gambl Stud 22, 451–461 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-006-9028-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-006-9028-2

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