Dysfunctional reward mechanisms in addiction disease and gambling behavior

Neuroscience studies show the similarity of reward-related neurocircuitry and dysfunctional behavioral patterns on Pathological Gambling (PG) and Substance Use Disorders (SUD). Evidences proved that PG and SUD are associated with deficits in frontal lobe function; thus, the compulsive addictive behavior can be described as a condition that subvert the ability to make decisions. The present study aimed to compare the results of evidences concerning the relationship between the high sensivity of the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) and the hemispheric lateralisation effect that supports the gambling behavior in addiction disease. We focused on two studies that included a group of Cocaine Addictive (CA) patients and high-BAS subjects who were tested using the Iowa Gambling Task; also metacognitive questionary and alpha band modulation were analized. It was found that the “left hemisphere unbalance” may be considered as a critical marker of dysfunctional decision-making in addictive behaviors (SUD and PG) and a factor able to explain the tendency to opt in favor of more reward-related conditions and to ignore long-term negative consequences. These results could have important repercussions in the social for both the treatment and prevention of addiction disease. Indeed, it could be applied clinical protocols of treatment considering to induce a balancing inter-hemispheric effect that could improve clinical conditions of addictive patients and to prevent the risk of relapse.