Changes of functional MRI findings in a patient whose pathological gambling improved with fluvoxamine

• Published in: Yonsei medical journal Vol. 50; no. 3; pp. 441 - 444
• Main Authors: Chung, Sang-Keun, You, Il-Han, Cho, Gwang-Hyun, Chung, Gyung-Ho, Shin, Young-Chul, Kim, Dai-Jin, Choi, Sam-Wook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Yonsei University College of Medicine 30.06.2009; 연세대학교의과대학
• Subjects: Adult; Behavior, Addictive - drug therapy; Case Report; Fluvoxamine - therapeutic use; Gambling; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome; 의학일반; functional MRI; Fluvoxamine; pathological gambling
• ISSN: 0513-5796; 1976-2437
• DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2009.50.3.441

Legalized gambling is a growing industry, and is probably a factor in the presently increasing prevalence of pathological gambling. We present a case of a 36-year-old pathological gambler who was treated with fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and who was assessed by functional MRI before and after drug administration. During activation periods, the pathological gambler was shown cards as stimuli, and fMRI results in several brain regions showed differential effects before and after medication and a maintenance period. This case demonstrates that the treatment response to fluvoxamine in a pathological gambler was observed not only by subjective self-report, but also by objective fMRI results. Therefore, fMRI may be a useful tool in the diagnosis and prediction of treatment response in patients afflicted with pathological gambling.