Background: Poor inhibitory control is a hallmark of problem gambling (PG), which is
characterised by frequent gambling and unsuccessful efforts to control/stop gambling. Stress and PG demonstrate a cyclical relationship, whereby gambling can act as a coping mechanism for dealing with stressful life events, while consistent gambling engagement can increase stress. To date, few studies examine acute stress effects on inhibitory control (IC) in this group.
Purpose: This study compares acute stress effects on IC in PG and healthy control (HC)
populations.
Methods: Twenty participants with PG and twenty HCs completed self-report measures
of mood disturbance (Profile of Mood States; POMS) and impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness
Scale); saliva samples were collected to measure cortisol. The Trier Social Stress Test was
administered to induce an acute stress response, followed by the Stop-Signal Task (SST), a
validated measure of IC.
Results: Subjective stress responses increased over time in both groups, with the PG
group demonstrating significantly higher POMS ratings (p<.05), however, no differences in
cortisol levels were observed between groups (p>.05). Moreover, no group differences were
observed on the SST (p>.05). Exploratory correlations revealed significant positive and negative
correlations between cortisol levels and ‘go’ reaction time and ‘stop’ signal reaction time on the
SST, respectively (p<.05).
Conclusion: This study is the first, to our knowledge, to directly examine acute
psychosocial stress effects on IC in individuals with PG. Our findings show that while both
groups display similar cortisol levels, individuals with PG report increased subjective stress relative to HCs. Despite no stress-induced impairments on SST performance, significant correlations were observed between task reaction time and cortisol levels in the PG group. This
study helps to better inform clinical practice by providing a comprehensive understanding of the
implications of stress and IC on gambling behaviours. / Thesis / Master of Health Sciences (MSc) / Problem gambling (PG) is characterised by problems with impulsivity and inhibitory control.
Stress affects inhibitory control and appears heightened in PG, but few studies examine this
relationship. This study examined acute stress effects on inhibitory control task performance,
which may underlie the loss of control during gambling episodes that is often experienced by
those with PG. Participants with PG and healthy controls (HCs) completed questionnaires
relating to impulsivity and stress, and were exposed to an acute stressor and provided saliva
samples to measure physiological stress (cortisol). Later participants completed a task examining reaction time as a measure of inhibitory control. Results showed that individuals with PG reported increased stress relative to HCs, despite having similar cortisol levels. While acute
stress did not impair inhibitory control on the task, significant correlations were observed
between task reaction time and cortisol levels, which suggests a strong relationship between
inhibitory control and physiological stress response.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/30381 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Froude, Anna Marie |
| Contributors | Balodis, Iris M., Neuroscience |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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