Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
6
pubmed:dateCreated
2010-5-28
pubmed:abstractText
The noradrenergic system has been linked to impulsive behaviour in animals and humans, yet little data on noradrenergic system exist in specific impulse control disorders. To explore the role of the noradrenergic system in pathological gamblers (PG), we assessed neuroendocrine growth hormone (GH) response to the alpha2-adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine and placebo in PG and controls. The net effects of clonidine are a decrease in neurotransmission by depressing locus coeruleus activity and stimulation of GH secretion through activation of post-synaptic alpha2-adrenergic receptors in the hypothalamus. Twenty-nine PG subjects, free of other comorbid conditions, and 27 healthy controls received a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, single dose of oral clonidine (0.15 mg/kg). Data observed included GH, clonidine levels and levels of the main noradrenergic metabolite, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG). The area under the curve for GH response to clonidine was significantly lower (separate variance t with 44.3 df = 2.626, P = 0.012, d = 0.58) in the PG group (199.6) than in the control group (426.3). PG had significantly blunted GH responses compared with controls at 120 and 150 min post-clonidine. These results are consistent with the idea that the subsensitivity of post-synaptic alpha-2 receptors is possibly attributable to higher-than-normal noradrenergic secretion in PG. This peripheral noradrenergic dysfunction could be consistent with attenuated cortico-frontal noradrenergic function as shown in positron emission tomography (PET) studies of PG.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jun
pubmed:issn
1461-7285
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
24
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
847-53
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2010
pubmed:articleTitle
Noradrenergic function in pathological gambling: blunted growth hormone response to clonidine.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychiatry, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. stefano.pallanti@mssm.edu
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural