High Stakes and Psychedelic States - A Neuroimaging Explanation of Psilocybin Therapy in Gambling Disorders

6 Mar

Guest Speaker: Dr Rayyan Zafar

In this episode titled ‘High Stakes and Psychedelic States - A Neuroimaging Explanation of Psilocybin Therapy in Gambling Disorders’, Dr Rayyan Zafar, a postdoctoral researcher at Imperial College London, discusses his work focusing on neuroimaging studies using psychedelics for gambling disorders.

The conversation begins with Dr Zafar describing what interested him in in combining psychedelic and gambling research together, and the novelties behind this approach. He reflects on his journey into and through his PhD and how this was important for shaping his understanding of addiction neuroscience and mental health treatments.

Afterward, he defines gambling disorder, explaining its classification as a behavioral addiction and the differences and similarities it shares with other forms of addiction, such as problematic substance misuse. This allows the conversation to delve deeper into substance specificity; how different substances and behaviours influence the brain and whether similar neurobiological mechanisms are at play in both gambling and substance use disorders.

Importantly, he touches on the misconceptions about gambling disorder in spaces such as the general public, media, and research. He highlights how gambling addiction is often stigmatised or misunderstood, with many people believing it is simply a matter of poor self-control rather than a recognised mental health disorder with neurobiological underpinnings. Additionally, Dr. Zafar shares his perspective on whether gambling disorder is somewhat normalised in society, pointing to how gambling is widely accepted, promoted, and even encouraged through advertising, sponsorships, and mainstream entertainment. He discusses how this normalisation can make it harder for individuals to recognise problematic gambling behaviours and seek help

Moving on, Dr Zafar describes the neuroimaging tools he finds most useful in studying gambling disorder. He explains how techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scans allow researchers to observe brain activity in real time, shedding light on how neural circuits function in individuals with gambling disorder.

Building on this, Dr. Zafar talks about the potential of psychedelics, such as psilocybin, in treating gambling disorder. He explains that psychedelics have been shown to enhance neuroplasticity (the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganising its structure, functions, or connections) and how this could be particularly beneficial for individuals with gambling disorder, as it may help disrupt maladaptive behavioural patterns and change dysfunctional brain pathways.

This episode provides an insightful look into the intersections of neuroscience, addiction, and psychedelic research, offering a thought provoking discussion on the challenges and possibilities of treating gambling disorder in new and innovative ways.

Listen now on Spotify