Problem Gambling May Be Treatable by Alcoholism Drug
A new scientific study is being undertaken to see if a drug developed to help alcoholics will treat symptoms in problem gamblers as well. Dr. Dennis McNeilly, a clinical psychologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is interested in finding out if an anti-alcoholism drug works as well for compulsive gambling.
Campral is a drug which has demostrated the potential to ease alcoholic cravings. McNeilly says that, during initial testing, an unexpected side effect was revealed: a decreased urge to gamble among addicts.
McNeilly plans a year-long study to find out if there is a verifiable link between Campral and controlling gambling impulses. The psychiatrist emphasized that, in both cases involving alcohol or gambling, the drug was most effective when combined with educational programs.
The concept behind this study is in line with recent research results, which suggest that addictive behavior in many forms may be a result of physiological differences in the addict's brain. A frontal lobe connection has been speculated to be the cause of lack of adaptability in problem-solving exercises, a trait which has appeared to be consistent with addictive behavior.
Perhaps addictive dysfuntionality may eventually be seen as a result of a physical or chemical problem of the individual, rather than an evil of the form the addiction takes. Results from McNeilly's study are sure to be much in demand.
