title: Cue-Reactive Altered State of Consciousness Mediates the Relationship Between Problem-Gambling Severity and Cue-Reactive Urge in Poker-Machine Gamblers.
abstract: In order to enhance our understanding of the nature of poker-machine problem-gambling, a community sample of 37 poker-machine gamblers (M age = 32 years, M PGSI = 5; PGSI = Problem Gambling Severity Index) were assessed for urge to gamble (responses on a visual analogue scale) and altered state of consciousness (assessed by the Altered State of Awareness dimension of the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory) at baseline, after a neutral cue, and after a gambling cue. It was found that (a) problem-gambling severity (PGSI score) predicted increase in urge (from neutral cue to gambling cue, controlling for baseline; sr (2) = .19, p = .006) and increase in altered state of consciousness (from neutral cue to gambling cue, controlling for baseline; sr (2) = .57, p < .001), and (b) increase in altered state of consciousness (from neutral cue to gambling cue) mediated the relationship between problem-gambling severity and increase in urge (from neutral cue to gambling cue; κ(2) = .40, 99 % CI [.08, .71]). These findings suggest that cue-reactive altered state of consciousness is an important component of cue-reactive urge in poker-machine problem-gamblers.
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioural, Cognitive, and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tricker
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioural, Cognitive, and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia. arock@une.edu.au.
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1430-3745
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rock
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioural, Cognitive, and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia.
authors.forename: Gavin I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D003243:Consciousness; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking
keywords: Altered state of consciousness; Gambling cue-reactivity; Poker-machines