Quantum Units Education®

1. The link between problem gambling (PG) and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) requires research into relative associations on the event level (the effects of drinking on gambling behavior and vise versa) and on the _________ level (the relative onset and course of each condition).

Pathological Gambling

2. During the 1990s, changes in state and local legislation encouraged the expansion of all types of wagering, and an apparent consequence has been that gambling and gambling-related problems have been on the rise in the U.S. and Canada.

AUD

3. Research indicates that between ______ percent of adults in the United States experience an alcohol use disorder at some point in their lives.

Moderating Variables

4. Studies have shown that people with anxiety disorders are at increased risk for developing a substance use disorder, and that pathological gamblers have an increased prevalence rate of comorbid mood disorders.

Processes and Features Common to PG and AUD

5. More so than other impulse control disorders, the criteria for PG share striking similarities with those for substance dependence, and those with PG may even undergo withdrawal symptoms such as:

Common Neurobiological Processes Underlying Urges and Rewards

6. Researchers have theorized that dysregulation in the systems supporting the activities of GABA and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine may be central in both AUD and PG.

Genetic and Environmental Factors

7. While family studies have found that participants with PG tended to have first-degree relatives with AUDs, findings also point to significant genetic and environmental risks for PG and AUD that are unique to each disorder.

Responsiveness To Treatment

8. The relapse prevention model for treating AUD and PG encourages abstinence with each of the following strategies EXCEPT:

Alcohol Use Disinhibits Gambling Behavior

9. To date, studies are mixed in the support of the hypothesis that alcohol frequently causes problematic behavior leading to pathological gambling.

Future Research

10. People with PG and AUD frequently share features of impulsivity and behavioral excess, as well as common personality traits and/or personality disorders.