Dopamine and Opioid Neurotransmission in Behavioral Addictions: A Comparative PET Study in Pathological Gambling and Binge Eating

• Published in: Neuropsychopharmacology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 1169 - 1177
• Main Authors: Majuri, Joonas, Joutsa, Juho, Johansson, Jarkko, Voon, Valerie, Alakurtti, Kati, Parkkola, Riitta, Lahti, Tuuli, Alho, Hannu, Hirvonen, Jussi, Arponen, Eveliina, Forsback, Sarita, Kaasinen, Valtteri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.04.2017
• Subjects: Adult; Analgesics, Opioid - administration & dosage; Analgesics, Opioid - metabolism; Behavior, Addictive - diagnostic imaging; Behavior, Addictive - metabolism; Binge eating; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - metabolism; Bulimia - diagnostic imaging; Bulimia - metabolism; Carbon Radioisotopes; Dihydroxyphenylalanine - administration & dosage; Dihydroxyphenylalanine - analogs & derivatives; Dopamine - metabolism; Female; Fentanyl - administration & dosage; Fentanyl - analogs & derivatives; Gambling - diagnostic imaging; Gambling - metabolism; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Positron-Emission Tomography; Radiopharmaceuticals

Although behavioral addictions share many clinical features with drug addictions, they show strikingly large variation in their behavioral phenotypes (such as in uncontrollable gambling or eating). Neurotransmitter function in behavioral addictions is poorly understood, but has important implication...