Physiological reactivity to stress: Stratifying the risk for the development of pathological gambling

Individuals’ reactivity to stress is an important factor in the progression to Problem Gambling (PG). Stress responses are under tonic inhibitory control via prefrontal (PFC) areas. Attenuation of PFC activity, via the Basolateral Amygdala (BLA), leads to disinhibition of the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala (CeA) that activates stress responses also associated with impaired decision-making and excessive risk-taking. VmHRV can assimilate the abovementioned mechanism which leads to excessive, suboptimal risk-taking, and thus, elevated risk for PG. With the aforementioned in mind, the present pilot study examined whether Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability (VmHRV) can stratify the risk for the development of problem gambling (PG). One hundred and ninety individuals from professional populations at high risk for acute and/or chronic stress were recruited through online advertising. Eligible individuals completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index before proceeding with ECG and HRV measures. Results indicated that VmHRV differed significantly across low risk (M=3.4, SE=0.05), moderate risk (M=3.27, SE = 0.08) and problem gambling (M=3.17, SE=0.05), (F (2, 62) = 8.2, p = .001). These differences were unaffected after controlling for age, gender, and ethnicity. The findings of this study indicate that reactivity to stress, as measured via VmHRV, can differentiate individuals with distinct risk for PG. The findings of this study are likely to hold practical implications for public health initiatives relevant to problem gambling for professionals who are subjected to ongoing stress.