[Assessment of the brain functional state in pathological gamblers with a complex of neurophysiological methods].

A diagnosis of pathological gambling met ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria. Based on the electroencephalographic data, two types of disturbances of electric activity were singled out: (1) abnormalities of amplitude and frequency characteristics of alpha-rhythm and (2) the disturbance of mechanisms of synchronized slow waves generating associated with the alpha-rhythm abnormalities. Despite the fact that patients did not abuse drugs, they had changes similar to those in drug addicts, i.e. the increase of index and power of beta-rhythm, abnormalities of amplitude and frequency characteristics of alpha-rhythm. Significant correlations between the level of impulsivity and the type of EEG parameters were found. The prolongation of latency of P300 auditory event-related potentials was correlated with the presence of EEG bilaterally synchronized waves of the theta-band that were recorded mostly in the frontal brain areas and with cognitive impairment. The results obtained suggest the dysfunction of brain diencephalic structures as well as medial-basal regions of frontal lobes that may cause predisposition to pathological gambling.