Effects of Nicotine Exposure and Anxiety on Motivation for Gambling-like Cues

INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: GAMBLING DISORDER ................................................................. 9 The Continuum of Gambling Involvement ....................................................... 9 Gambling Disorder.......................................................................................... 10 Epidemiology of Gambling Disorder.............................................................. 12 Technically Savvy Gambling Platforms Promote Disordered Play ................ 14 General Comorbidity of Gambling Disorder .................................................. 15 Comorbidity of Tobacco Dependence and Gambling Disorder ..................... 16 Comorbidity of Anxiety and Gambling Disorder ........................................... 18 Gambling Disorder in the Clinic: Treatment Options..................................... 19 Concluding Remarks ....................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2: THE NEUROCOGNITIVE UNDERPINNINGS OF GAMBLING DISORDER ............................................................................................................... 21 The Allure of Gambling Games ...................................................................... 21 The Importance of Cues .................................................................................. 24 Incentive Sensitization Theory of Addiction .................................................. 25 Cues in the Gambling Setting ......................................................................... 28 The Role of Cues in Nicotine Reinforcement ................................................. 29 Concluding Remarks ....................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER 3: THE VALUE OF RODENT MODELS IN ELUCIDATING THE MECHANISMS OF GAMBLING DISORDER .................................................... 34 Modeling Attraction for Cues ......................................................................... 34 Modeling the Reinforcing Power of Cues ...................................................... 35 Progressive Ratio as a Measure of Reward Strength ...................................... 37 Measuring Anxiety in Rats ............................................................................. 37 The Present Study ........................................................................................... 38 SUBJECTS AND HOUSING CONDITIONS ........................................................ 41 APPARATUS ............................................................................................................ 41 Elevated Plus Maze ......................................................................................... 41 Autoshaping Chamber .................................................................................... 43 Conditioned Reinforcement Chamber ............................................................ 44 Progressive Ratio Chamber............................................................................. 45 PROCEDURE ........................................................................................................... 46 Elevated Plus Maze ......................................................................................... 46 Autoshaping .................................................................................................... 46 Conditioned Reinforcement ............................................................................ 48 Progressive Ratio ............................................................................................ 48 Drugs ............................................................................................................... 49 GROUPS .................................................................................................................... 50