The present study aimed to investigate whether selected polymorphisms in the dopamine receptors genes (DRD1, DRD2, DRD3, and DRD4) are associated with PG in Korean population which is consisted of only Korean ancestry.
These are potentially of genetic origin, since research in healthy subjects suggests that vulnerability for pathological gambling may be linked to variation in the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene.
Recent studies have suggested the involvement of the dopaminergic system in addictions and impulse control disorders and associations of dopamine receptor genes (DRD1, DRD2, and DRD4) and PG have been reported.
Our results are consistent with the existence of a significant association between genetic variants at a DRD4 gene polymorphism and pathological gambling (chi 2 = 11.82; P = 0.037).