Criticalities of Executive Functions (EFs) research in Gambling Disorder: between the behavioural and neurophysiological markers

Abstract

The need to use different and heterogeneous approaches and methodologies to investigate the phenomenon of pathological Gambling Disorder (GD) arises from a substantial difference in the literature results emerging in this area. Furthermore, investigating the executive functioning (EFs) of subjects with GD provides important information that can influence the treatment setting of these populations. In the present paper the involvement of EFs in the present disorder was investigated. The cognitive functioning of subjects with GD was deepened, both through the study of the cerebral correlates of executive functioning in GD and through empirical studies that investigate the behavioural deficits of GD. Furthermore, we considered the role of some specific behavioral tasks (such as the Iowa Gambling Task, IGT) for the assessment of EFs. Finally, the relationship between EFs and some other crucial factors, such as reward sensitivity, were focused. Indeed, the behavioural aspects of GD are multiple, and they include not only traditional functions such as inhibitory control and reduced levels of self-control, but also high sensitivity to reward.