Researchers at the University of Exeter in southwest England are seeking participants to investigate the effect of the ketamine on gambling addictions.
The new research aims to investigate whether ketamine’s influence on human memory can be used to break down the positive reinforcement associated with gambling addictions while also preventing the urge to gamble.
Ketamine is an anesthetic sometimes used as a recreational drug. It blocks a receptor involved in learning and memory.
The study will be conducted by Exeter researcher Celia Morgan, a leading professor of psychopharmacology whose research concentrates on examining both the benefits and side effects of recreational drugs on cognition, mental health and neurobiology.
“The study is the first of its kind in the world,” Morgan said. “Gambling problems devastate lives, and we urgently need new treatments. We feel privileged to be running this innovative and important study at University of Exeter and hope this may eventually lead to new treatment options for people struggling with gambling problems.”
Scientists are discovering more about memory mechanisms and how they help people respond to rewards like food, money, and drugs. They want to look at how these memories are important to those who use drugs and alcohol or engage in other unhealthy behaviors such as gambling.
This research study seeks to investigate people’s memory of money and determine whether they can be altered by giving a low dose of ketamine.
Participants in the study must:
- Be over 18 years old
- Regularly gamble
- Be fluent English speakers
