Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to examine structural abnormalities of brain in patients with pathological gambling(PG) using voxel-based morphometry.

Methods:

We compared gray matter(GM) volumes between 10 patients with PG and 14 age- and IQ-matched healthy controls and examined the relationship of GM volumes with clinical variables in patients with PG.

Results:

We found significant increase of GM volume in the superior, middle, and inferior frontal gyri, the midbrain, the middle temporal gyrus, the precuneus, and the fusiform gyrus of patients with PG. A significant decrease of GM volume was observed in the parahippocampal gyrus and the lingual gyrus of the patient group. In addition, GM volumes in some of these regions were positively associated with South Oaks Gambling Screen score and negatively with age of onset in patients with PG.

Conclusion:

Current findings indicate that structural abnormalities in the fronto-temporal cortex, the midbrain, and the precuneus might be involved in the pathophysiology of PG, and contribute to some of the behavioral changes observed in patients with PG.