London - Scientists set up a rat casino to study the brain chemistry behind compulsive gambling.
The study, in which rats played for sugar pellets using slot machine-style devices, suggested for the first time that drugs could be used to treat gambling addiction.
The machines used by the rats featured three flashing lights and levers they could push with their paws.
Scientists said that the rats displayed behaviours associated with problem gambling in humans, such as the tendency to see “near misses” as similar to wins.
But when treated with medication that blocked their response to dopamine – a brain chemical released during pleasurable experiences – the rats’ addictive behaviour decreased.
The team, from the University of British Columbia in Canada, said the findings offered new hope for the treatment of problem gambling. - Daily Mail