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. 2017 Sep 1:178:363-371.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.05.025. Epub 2017 Jun 28.

Alterations in functional brain networks associated with loss-chasing in gambling disorder and cocaine-use disorder

Patrick D Worhunsky  1 , Marc N Potenza  2 , Robert D Rogers  3
Affiliations

Alterations in functional brain networks associated with loss-chasing in gambling disorder and cocaine-use disorder

Patrick D Worhunsky et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. .

Abstract

Background: Continued, persistent gambling to recover accumulating losses, or 'loss-chasing', is a behavioral pattern linked particularly closely to gambling disorder (GD) but may reflect impaired decision-making processes relevant to drug addictions like cocaine-use disorder (CUD). However, little is known regarding the neurocognitive mechanisms of this complex, maladaptive behavior, particularly in individuals with addictive disorders.

Methods: Seventy participants (25 GD, 18 CUD, and 27 healthy comparison (HC)) completed a loss-chase task during fMRI. Engagement of functional brain networks in response to losing outcomes and during decision-making periods preceding choices to loss-chase or to quit chasing losses were investigated using independent component analysis (ICA). An exploratory factor analysis was performed to examine patterns of coordinated engagement across identified networks.

Results: In GD relative to HC and CUD participants, choices to quit chasing were associated with greater engagement of a medial frontal executive-processing network. By comparison, CUD participants exhibited altered engagement of a striato-amygdala motivational network in response to losing outcomes as compared to HC, and during decision-making as compared to GD. Several other networks were differentially engaged during loss-chase relative to quit-chasing choices, but did not differ across participant groups. Exploratory factor analysis identified a system of coordinated activity across prefrontal executive-control networks that was greater in GD and CUD relative to HC participants and was associated with increased chasing persistence across all participants.

Conclusions: Results provide evidence of shared and distinct neurobiological mechanisms in substance and behavioral addictions, and lend insight into potential cognitive interventions targeting loss-chasing behavior in GD.

Keywords: Addiction; Cocaine-use disorder; Gambling disorder; ICA; Loss-chasing; fMRI.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

No conflict declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic of the loss-chase game.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Functional brain networks identified as displaying a group (GD, CUD, HC)-by-choice (chase, quit) interaction in task-related engagement. (A) GD participants exhibited greater quit-relative chase-related engagement of a medial frontal network as compared to CUD and HC following outcomes, and as compared to CUD during decision-making. (B) CUD participants displayed negative quit-relative to chase-related engagement of a striato-amygdala network that differed from HC following outcomes, and differed from greater quit-related engagement in GD during decision-making. Regional integrations displayed at a voxel-level PFWE<0.001, k>100. **P<0.01; *P<0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Functional brain networks identified as displaying a main effect of choice (chase, quit) during loss-chase game performance. Right fronto-parietal (A) and middle frontal (B) networks were more strongly engaged during quit- relative to chase-related trials. Auditory (C) and occipito-parietal visual (D) networks were more strongly dis-engaged during quit-relative to chase-related trials. Middle occipital (E) and lingual gyrus (F) visual networks were more strongly engaged during chase-related compared to quit-related trials. Regional integrations displayed at a voxel-level PFWE<0.001, k>100.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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