Deficits in Executive Functions in pathological gamblers

MARÍA ROCA; TERESA TORRALVA; LUKE CLARK; MARTÍN MIGUEL; TRISTÁN BEKINSCHTEIN; MARÍA DE LUJÁN CALCAGNO; RAMÓN LEIGUARDA; FACUNDO MANES

Florida

Encuentro; 57th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology; 2005

American Academy of Neurology

BACKGROUND Recent studies have suggested a dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex in pathological gamblers due to the fact that they share certain characteristics with patients with frontal lesions such as the incapacity of thinking on the future consequences of their actions (Cavedini, 2002; Spinella 2004). A recent study suggested the presence of impairments in the decision making process in pathological gamblers (Cavedini, 2002) using a task sensitive to frontal lobe damage (Bechara, 1994). The prefrontal cortex plays an important role in executive functions like decision making, inhibitory control, working memory and social conduct. No study has yet prove the presence of impairmentes in other executive functions in pathological gamblers, besides decission making. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study are to confirm the presence of dysfunctional decision making in pathological gamblers; and to extend previous data by testing other cognitive functions usually associated with the prefrontal cortex such as working memory, inhibitory control and attention.