ADDICTION RESPONSES

Gambling addiction triggers the same part of the brain as drug and alcohol addiction, according to a study reported in Translational Psychiatry. British and Canadian researchers found that two areas of the brain – the insula and nucleus accumbens – light up when problem gamblers look at pictures of slot machines and roulette tables. These areas are involved in decision-making, reward and impulse control, and have also been linked to drug and alcohol cravings.