In 2009, Yale University was selected as one of the first NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research. Below is a description of the long-term, multidisciplinary research and education program this Center of Excellence is undertaking, as outlined in its initial grant application.
The Yale Gambling CORE (Center Of Research Excellence)
The main research component of the Yale Gambling CORE, “Psychological, Genetic and Neurobiological Explorations of Effective Treatment of Pathological Gambling,” involves the disciplines of treatment development, brain imaging, molecular genetics and behavioral/neurocognitive assessment. The project will investigate factors associated with outcome in pathological gambling treatment using a multidisciplinary approach, including psychopharmacological, brain imaging, genetic, gender-informed, longitudinal, developmental and epidemiological perspectives.
Although significant strides have recently been made, still relatively little is known about the effective treatments for disordered gambling behavior. To date, no drugs are FDA-approved for the treatment of the disorder. More recently, placebo-controlled trials have investigated behavioral and pharmacological treatments, both of which have received empirical support in the short-term treatment of pathological gambling. Opioid antagonists, including naltrexone and nalmefene, have demonstrated in three separate randomized clinical trials (RCTs) superiority over placebo in the treatment of pathological gambling. These studies have included the largest RCT performed to date to investigate a pharmacotherapy for the treatment of gambling disorders and the first successful replication trial for drug treatment (naltrexone) of pathological gambling. Given these findings, the CORE investigators decided to focus on naltrexone for further study. The center will conduct a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial to investigate whether naltrexone will be effective in a “real-world” clinical setting.
Grant Award: $402,500 over three years
