People with gambling disorder often have impaired decision-making. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) controls one’s heart rate, and PNS functioning may be linked to decision-making. This study tested if changes in heart rate and awareness of one’s bodily signals were linked to gambling disorder. Participants completed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The researchers measured participants’ heart rates before and after the task. Changes in heart rate indicated their PNS responses to the task. Participants with gambling disorder showed worse decision-making in the IGT than those without gambling disorder. They were also less aware of their heart rate, and their heart rate changed less in response to the task. This shows that people with gambling disorder may have impaired PNS functioning and lower awareness of bodily signals.
