Pathological Gambling During Manic Episodes in Bipolar Disorder

MARÍA ROCA; MARCELO CETKOVICH; TERESA TORRALVA; EZEQUIEL GLEICHGERRCHT; PABLO LÓPEZ; SERGIO STREJILEVICH; LUKE CLARK; FACUNDO MANES

Buenos Aires

Encuentro; Join Mid-Year Meeting; 2008

The International Neuropsychological Society, Sociedad de Neuropsicología de Argentina

Objective: the aim of the present study is to analyze the performance on a decision-making task in a patient with bipolar disorder who experienced a sudden onset of addictive gambling behaviour exclusively during the course of manic episodes. Participants and methods: the patient (L.R.) was assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task and his performance was compared with bipolar disease (BD) and a group of pathological gamblers (PG). Results: L.R. differed in this decision-making profile from pathological gamblers and patients with bipolar disorder. L.R. also differed from control subjects in the early appearance of his risk aversion and in the speed in which he developed his risk aversive strategy. Conlusions: the addictive and reversible gambling developed throughout manic episodes in our patient with BD seems related to abnormal functionin of the prefrontal cortex. This case, with coexisting PG and BD, lends additional support to the hypothesis that an abnormal functionin of the PFC might be implicated in the pathophysiology of gambling behavior.