Background and aims: Many psychopathologies, including addictions, are characterized by inhibitory
control deficits. In this regard, recent studies on substance-related disorders (SRD) have shown an
impairment in the ability to inhibit potentially interfering memories, despite preserved motor inhibition.
To investigate whether the same dissociation could also characterize gambling disorder
(GD) in a transdiagnostic perspective, we tested both cognitive and motor inhibitory processes
through dedicated tasks, for the first time in this behavioral addiction. Methods: 30 outpatients with
GD and 30 healthy controls performed a go/no-go task addressing the integrity of motor inhibition,
and the Retrieval Practice Paradigm, a task addressing the integrity of memory inhibition as indexed
by the Retrieval-Induced Forgetting (RIF) effect. Self-report questionnaires assessing impulsivity were
also administered. Results: Whereas RIF was similar across the two groups, patients showed more
commission errors in the go/no-go task, and higher self-rated scores of impulsivity than controls.
Discussion: The present findings suggest preserved memory inhibition and impaired motor response
inhibition in GD, a pattern of inhibitory deficits opposite to that previously reported for SRD.
Therefore, although both GD and SRD are characterized by altered inhibitory processing, a more
fine-grained analysis revealed a specific inhibitory profile indicating vulnerability in different
inhibitory components. Conclusion: The present study highlights the need to investigate the multifaceted
construct of inhibition more thoroughly, using performance measures able to assess its
various components. This approach would enable to both better characterize different psychopathologies
and orient their treatment
