Medication treatment studies have demonstrated short-term efficacy of various SRIs, opioid antagonists, and mood stabilizers in sub-samples of adult treatment seeking pathological gamblers. Pathological gambling is frequently comorbid with bipolar spectrum disorders, substance abuse/dependence, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and comorbidity may influence treatment response in pathological gambling. This review focuses on recent research examining the treatment of pathological gambling and highlights methodological challenges for future studies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D. W. Black (2004) ArticleTitleAn open-label trial of bupropion in the treatment of pathological gambling Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 24 108–110
R. A. Chambers M. N. Potenza (2001) ArticleTitleSchizophrenia and pathological gambling American Journal of Psychiatry 158 487–498
G. A. Christenson M. K. Popkin T. B. Mackenzie G. M. Realmuto (1991) ArticleTitleLithium treatment of chronic hair pulling Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 52 116–120
J. E. Grant S. W. Kim M. N. Potenza (2003a) ArticleTitleAdvances in the Pharmacological Treatment of pathological gambling Journal of Gambling Studies 19 85–109
J.E. Grant S. W. Kim M. N. Potenza C. Blanco et al. (2003b) ArticleTitleParoxetine treatment of pathological gambling: A multi-centre randomized controlled trial. International Clinical Psychopharmacology 18 243–249
E. Hollander T. Begaz C. M. DeCaria (1998a) ArticleTitlePharmacological approaches in the treatment of pathological gambling CNS Spectrums 3 72–80
E. Hollander C.M. DeCaria E. Mari C.M. Wong S. Mosovich R. Grossman et al. (1998b) ArticleTitleShort-term single-blind fluvoxamine treatment of pathological gambling. American Journal of Psychiatry 155 1781–1783
E. Hollander C. M. DeCaria J. N. Finkell T. Begaz C. M. Wong C. Cartwright (2000) ArticleTitleA randomized double-blind fluvoxamine/placebo crossover trial in pathologic gambling Biological Psychiatry 47 813–817
E. Hollander S. Pallanti A. Allen E. Sood N. B. Rossi (2005) ArticleTitleDoes sustained-release lithium reduce impulsive gambling and affective instability vs. placebo in pathological gamblers with bipolar spectrum disorder? American Journal of Psychiatry 162 137–145
E. Hollander K.A. Tracy A.C. Swann et al. (2003) ArticleTitleDivalproex in the treatment of impulsive aggression: Efficacy in cluster B personality disorders Neuropsychopharmacology 28 1186–1197
S. W. Kim J. E. Grant (2001a) ArticleTitleAn open naltrexone treatment study in pathological gambling disorder International Clinical Psychopharmacology 16 285–289
S. W. Kim J. E. Grant D. E. Adson Y. C. Shin (2001b) ArticleTitleDouble-blind naltrexone and placebo comparison study in the treatment of pathological gambling Biolological Psychiatry 49 914–921
S. W. Kim J. E. Grant D. E. Adson Y. C. Shin R. Zaninelli (2002) ArticleTitleA double-blind placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of paroxetine in the treatment of pathological gambling Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2002 63 501–507
F. Maccallum A. Blaszczynski (2003) ArticleTitlePathological gambling and suicidality: An analysis of severity and lethality Suicide Life Threatening Behavior 33 88–98
S. A. Montgomery S. Kasper D. J. Stein K. Bang-Hedegaard O. M. Lemming (2001) ArticleTitleCitalopram 20 mg, 40 mg and 60 mg are all effective and well tolerated compared with placebo in obsessive-compulsive disorder International Clinical Psychopharmacology 16 75–86
S. Pallanti N. Baldini-Rossi E. Sood E. Hollander (2002a) ArticleTitleNefazodone treatment of pathological gambling: A prospective open label controlled trial Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 63 1034–1039
S. Pallanti L. Quercioli E. Sood E. Hollander (2002b) ArticleTitleLithium and valproate treatment of pathological gambling: A randomized single-blind study Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 63 559–564
G. Perna A. Bertani D. Caldirola E. Smeraldi L. Bellodi (2001) ArticleTitleA comparison of citalopram and paroxetine in the treatment of panic disorder: A randomized, single-blind study Pharmacopsychiatry 34 85–90
N. M. Simon S. G. Sharma J. J. Worthington P. C. Marzol M. H. Pollack (2001) ArticleTitleCitalopram for social phobia: A clinical case series Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 25 1469–1474
E. D. Sood S. Pallanti E. Hollander (2003) ArticleTitleDiagnosis and treatment of pathological gambling Current Psychiatry Reports 5 9–15
D. J. Stein D. Simeon M. Frenkel M. N. Islam E. Hollander (1995) ArticleTitleAn open trial of valproate in borderline personality disorder Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 56 506–510
N. C. Tye S. D. Iverson A. R. Green (1979) ArticleTitleThe effects of benzodiazepines and serotonin manipulations on punished responding Neuropharmacology 18 689–695
M. Zimmerman R. B. Breen M. A. Posternak (2002) ArticleTitleAn open-label study of citalopram in the treatment of pathological gambling Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 63 44–48
J. Zohar R. Judge (1996) ArticleTitleParoxetine versus clomipramine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder British Journal of Psychiatry 169 468–474
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hollander, E., Sood, E., Pallanti, S. et al. Pharmacological Treatments of Pathological Gambling. J Gambl Stud 21, 99–108 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-004-1932-8
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-004-1932-8