Update on the neurobiological, clinical and treatment aspects of gambling disorder

Gambling is an increasingly more common activity in our society, especially with the advent of new gambling modalities, such as online gambling. Although many people gamble without undergoing health problems, some individuals develop gambling disorder (GD). In recent years, the concern about this disorder has growth substantially among researchers and clinicians, and the number of studies exploring its etiopathogenesis and risk factors has increased significantly. Indeed, certain groups of individuals may have an elevated risk for GD; for example, being male, young, people with low socioeconomic, high impulsivity, and emotional instability. From a neurobiological perspective, GD has been associated with alterations in neurotransmitter systems involved in motivation and reward processing. Likewise, some studies have reported that hormonal factors may play an important role in the development and maintenance of GD. Taken together, all these findings have contributed to the improvement of preventive and treatment interventions of gambling disorder. However, further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of this disorder. The present review offers an update on the main clinical, neurobiological, and treatment aspects of gambling disorder.