Compulsive Gamblers Find Luck in a Pill
Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that a drug called nalmefene, normally used to combat alcoholism, might be useful for stifling compulsive gambling as well. Gamblers on the drug reported that their habit failed to match its previous level of excitement. Nalmefene functions by disrupting opiate circuits in the brain and affecting the dopamine system, interfering with pleasure and feelings of reward, respectively.