Management of Impulse Control and Related Disorders in Parkinson's Disease: An Expert Consensus.

BACKGROUND: Impulse-control and related behavioral disorders (ICBDs) significantly impact the lives of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and caregivers, with lasting consequences if undiagnosed and untreated. While ICBD pathophysiology and risk factors are well-studied, a standardized severity definition and treatment evidence remain elusive. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to establish international expert consensus on ICBD treatment strategies. To comprehensively address diverse treatment availabilities, experts from various continents were included. METHODS: From 2021 to 2023, global movement disorders specialists engaged in a Delphi process. A core expert group initiated surveys, involving a larger panel in three iterations, leading to refined severity definitions and treatment pathways. RESULTS: Experts achieved consensus on defining ICBD severity, emphasizing regular PD patient screenings for early detection. General treatment recommendations focused on continuous monitoring, collaboration with significant others, and seeking specialist advice for legal or financial challenges. For mild to severe ICBDs, gradual reduction in dopamine agonists was endorsed, followed by reductions in other PD medications. Second-line treatment strategies included diverse approaches like reversing the last medication change, cognitive behavior therapy, subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation, and specific medications like quetiapine, clozapine, and antidepressants. The panel reached consensus on distinct treatment pathways for punding and dopamine dysregulation syndrome, formulating therapy recommendations. Comprehensive discussions addressed management strategies for the exacerbation of either motor or non-motor symptoms following the proposed treatments. CONCLUSION: The consensus offers in-depth insights into ICBD management, presenting clear severity criteria and expert consensus treatment recommendations. The study highlights the critical need for further research to enhance ICBD management. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Review of Management Considerations for Excoriation Disorder in Older Adults.

Excoriation disorder (ED) is defined as compulsive skin picking that results in skin damage and emotional distress. Optimal management of ED includes individualized treatment plans consisting of psychotherapies, behavioral and pharmacologic interventions. Compared with younger populations, older adults are at increased risk for poor outcomes, such as infection and hospitalization, and require unique management considerations. Risk factors that contribute to disease burden include age-related changes to the skin and underlying medical and psychiatric comorbidities. A literature review was conducted on ED yielding limited evidence exclusive to older adults. The authors suggest a therapeutic approach to ED in older adults based on available evidence and experience from inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. Finally, opportunities for future research are highlighted.

Impulse control disorders and related behaviors in Parkinson's disease: risk factors, clinical and genetic aspects, and management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent findings and research directions on impulse control disorders and related behaviors (ICDRBs) in Parkinson's disease (PD). RECENT FINDINGS: Longitudinal studies found that prevalence increases during PD progression, incident ICDRBs being around 10% per year in patients treated with dopaminergic therapies. Screening tools and severity scales already developed have been validated and are available in several countries and languages. The main clinical risk factors include young age, male gender, type, doses and duration of dopaminergic therapy, PD motor severity and dyskinesia, depression, anxiety, apathy, sleep disorders, and impulsivity traits. Genetic factors are suspected by a high estimated heritability, but individual genes and variants remain to be replicated. Management of ICDRBs is centered on dopamine agonist decrease, with the risk to develop withdrawal symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy and subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation also improve ICDRBs. In the perspective of precision medicine, new individual prediction models of these disorders have been proposed, but they need further independent replication. SUMMARY: Regular monitoring of ICDRB during the course of PD is needed, particularly in the subject at high risk of developing these complications. Precision medicine will require the appropriate use of machine learning to be reached in the clinical setting.

Impact of Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation on Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson's Disease: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Impact of subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) on impulse control disorders (ICD) in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains controversial. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to analyze the natural history of ICD between baseline and 1 year after subthalamic DBS in patients with PD and to identify predictive factors, taking into account the positions of the active contact and stimulation parameters. METHODS: We analyzed postoperative modifications of ICD based on the multicentric, prospective Predictive Factors and Subthalamic Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease cohort. ICD status and Ardouin Scale of Behaviour in PD were assessed at baseline and 1 year following subthalamic DBS. Location of active contacts within the 3 subthalamic nucleus functional territories was investigated. RESULTS: A total of 217 were patients included. Of the patients, 10.6% had ICD at baseline of which 95.6% improved at 1 year following subthalamic DBS; 3.6% of the patients experienced de novo ICD at 1 year following subthalamic DBS. Dopamine agonist dose reduction (from 309.8 to 109.3 mg) was the main driver of ICD regression (P = 0.05). Higher preoperative dyskinesias were associated with poorer ICD evolution (P = 0.04). Whereas baseline apathy was a risk factor of de novo ICD (P = 0.02), ICD improvement correlated with postoperative apathy (P = 0.004). Stimulation power and position of active contacts-mainly located within the sensorimotor part of the subthalamic nucleus-did not influence ICD. CONCLUSIONS: This 1-year, postoperative follow-up study showed ICD regression and dopaminergic drug reduction with optimal position of the active contacts within the subthalamic nucleus. Whereas patients with PD with preoperative ICD were prone to postoperative apathy, we also showed that those with preoperative apathy had a higher risk to experience postoperative de novo ICD, further highlighting the meaningful influence of postoperative management of dopaminergic medication on outcome and the continuum between apathy and ICD. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Zebrafish models of impulsivity and impulse control disorders.

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are characterized by generalized difficulty controlling emotions and behaviors. ICDs are a broad group of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders including conduct disorder, intermittent explosive, oppositional-defiant disorder, antisocial personality disorder, kleptomania, pyromania and other illnesses. Although they all share a common feature (aberrant impulsivity), their pathobiology is complex and poorly understood. There are also currently no ICD-specific therapies to treat these illnesses. Animal models are a valuable tool for studying ICD pathobiology and potential therapies. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a useful model organism to study CNS disorders due to high genetic and physiological homology to mammals, and sensitivity to various pharmacological and genetic manipulations. Here, we summarize experimental models of impulsivity and ICD in zebrafish and highlight their growing translational significance. We also emphasize the need for further development of zebrafish ICD models to improve our understanding of their pathogenesis and to search for novel therapeutic treatments.

Kleptomania as a neglected disorder in psychiatry.

Kleptomania is an impulse control disorder characterized by the irresistible urge to steal not for monetary gain. Since its conceptualization, this categorical diagnosis has been conflated with common beliefs regarding the social class and gender such as the idea that women are intrinsically fragile and that people in the middle class were unlikely to commit theft. Also, its use has been controversial in the medical and forensic fields. This review of the literature will provide a historical excursus through the definitions of the syndrome and summarize the available pharmacological and psychotherapeutic options for its treatment. Currently, there is a lack of systematic studies regarding the clinical characteristics of kleptomania and its treatment options for practical standardized approaches.

Group therapy for excoriation disorder: Psychodrama versus support therapy.

BACKGROUND: Excoriation disorder (ED) is characterized by recurring excoriation of the skin resulting in tissue damage, usually associated with emotional deregulation. Psychotherapy is a valuable treatment; however, no studies emphasize the patients' interactional aspect, nor the potential benefit of group treatment. METHODS: We recruited a convenience sample of 38 individuals with ED according to DSM-5 criteria, in which 19 individuals proceeded to treatment, 10 with psychodrama group therapy (PGT), and 9 with support group therapy (SGT) in an open pilot study. RESULTS: The entire sample presented improvement of skin excoriation on both self-report and clinician rating and improvement of social adjustment; however, there was no difference between groups (ie, time × group interaction). Also, there was no relevant change for anxiety, depression, or emotional regulation throughout treatment. Emotional deregulation was associated with excoriation severity as well as depression, anxiety, and social maladjustment, both at the beginning and end of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although both groups showed improvement of skin picking, the results contradict our primary hypothesis that PGT would have a superior efficacy to SGT for patients with ED. The findings encourage future studies of group interventions for ED in larger samples with a focus on emotional regulation enhancement.

Exposure and response prevention therapy augmented with naltrexone in kleptomania: a controlled case study using galvanic skin response for monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Kleptomania is a disease that shares features with obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders (OCD) and with substance abuse disorders (SAD). This is underlined by therapeutic approaches in kleptomania ranging from cognitive behavioural therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that are effective in OCD, and opioid antagonists that are currently being used in SAD. However, almost no literature exists about exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy in kleptomania. Furthermore, there is a clear lack of objective markers that would allow a therapeutic monitoring. AIM: To show the effectiveness of ERP therapy in kleptomania in a single case report. METHOD: An ERP therapy under real-world conditions and later augmentation with the opioid antagonist naltrexone is described. Continuous measurements of galvanic skin response (GSR) before, during and after therapy sessions are reported in association with changes of the Kleptomania Symptom Assessment Scale (KSAS) self-questionnaire. RESULTS: While KSAS scores showed a clear treatment response to ERP sessions, the GSR was significantly lower during ERP treatment in comparison with baseline measures. However, during augmentation with naltrexone, GSR measures increased again and clinical severity did not further improve. CONCLUSIONS: This case shows the possible usefulness of ERP-like approaches and therapy monitoring using electrophysiological markers of arousal for individualized treatment in kleptomania.

Behavioral Addictions as Mental Disorders: To Be or Not To Be?

Should excessive and problematic engagement in nonsubstance use behaviors be mental disorders? The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) repositioned gambling disorder in the substance use disorders section and introduced Internet gaming disorder in the research appendix; the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) is also considering it. This article outlines pros and cons of considering behavioral addictions as mental disorders and also reviews the DSM-5 decision-making processes. It focuses on three conditions: gambling disorder, Internet gaming disorder (IGD), and Internet addiction (IA). We detail assessment methods and prevalence rates for these conditions and outline psychiatric comorbidities, demographic and biological risk factors, and promising treatment approaches. We also briefly discuss other putative behavioral addictions: eating/food, sex, exercise, shopping, and tanning "addictions." Overall, data are inconclusive, and consistent terminology and methodology are needed to define and evaluate these conditions more fully prior to considering them mental disorders.

tDCS in Addiction and Impulse Control Disorders.

The study of addiction and impulsion control disorders has shown that behaviors of seeking and consumption of addictive substances are subserved by neurobiological alterations specifically related to brain networks for reward, stress, and executive control, representing the brain's adaptation to the continued use of an addictive substance. In parallel, studies using neuromodulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have demonstrated promising effects in modulating cognitive and motor functions. This review aims to describe the neurobiology of addiction and some of the most relevant cognitive models of addictive behavior and to clarify how tDCS application modulates the intake and craving for several addictive substances, such as food, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, and cannabis. We also discuss the positive and null outcomes of the use of this neuromodulatory technique in the treatment of addiction disorders resulting from the use of these substances. The reviewed findings lead us to conclude that tDCS interventions hold several promising clinical avenues in addiction and impulsive control. However, methodological investigations are necessary for undercover optimal parameters before implementing its clinical application.

Cognitive psychophysiological treatment of bodily-focused repetitive behaviors in adults: An open trial.

BACKGROUND: Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), such as hair pulling, skin picking, and nail biting, are repetitive, destructive, and nonfunctional habits that cause significant distress. Separate BFRBs form a cohesive group and could be assessed as part of the Tourette/tic spectrum or obsessive-compulsive spectrum of disorders. The treatment of choice is either antidepressant or behavioral treatment, both of which have shown effectiveness. The cognitive psychophysiological (CoPs) model focuses on the tension and emotional build up that triggers habits by addressing cognitive-behavioral, emotional and psychophysiological processes preceding onset rather than the habit itself. The CoPs approach has already shown efficacy in treatment of tic and Tourette disorder. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current open trial was to view whether BFRBs can be validly assessed on a standard tic scale (Tourette Symptom Global Scale; TSGS) and evaluate the efficacy of the CoPs intervention on 64 participants (54 completers) with 1 of 3 subtypes of BFRBs (hair pulling, nail biting, and skin picking) compared to a waitlist control. METHOD: Participants were assessed at baseline on an adapted TSGS and after receving 14 weeks of CoPs therapy with six months follow up. RESULTS: The TSGS was reliably and validly adapted to measure BFRBs. The CoPs intervention was effective for all BRFB subtypes with a large effect size (intention-to-treat g = 1.54; completers g = 2.04), with 74% of patients showing clinically significant improvement. Mood and self-esteem also improved posttreatment. The decrease in symptoms was maintained at the 6-month follow-up, with a further decrease in perfectionism. CONCLUSION: BFRBs can be reliably assessed as a tic spectrum disorder rather than as part of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. The CoPs model may offer a complementary treatment for BFRBs.

Impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease: Review of pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical features, management, and future challenges.

Impulsive-compulsive behavior (ICB) in Parkinson's disease (PD) suggests a combination of impulse control disorders (ICDs), such as pathological gambling, hypersexuality, compulsive eating, excessive buying, and compulsive behaviors, such as punding, dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS), hoarding, and hobbyism. Hypersexuality and gambling are common in male patients while compulsive buying is common in women patients. Recent studies reveal the prevalence of ICB to be more than 25% among the PD patients. The nigrostriatal, mesocortical, and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of ICDs in PD patients. The greater tonic release of dopamine creates a state of relative dopamine deficit and reduced reward sensation and impulsive behaviors. The major risk factors for ICB are the use of dopamine agonist (DA), male gender, young patient, depression, smoking, drug abuse, Parkin mutation, and family history of ICDs. Single nucleotide polymorphism in dopamine receptors D1, D2, and D3 also acts as a major risk factor. Questionnaire for impulsive-compulsive disorders in PD is the most widely adopted screening tool for the detection of ICB in PD. The major treatment for PD is to discontinue DAs and use prolonged release formulation of the DAs. The role of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and apomorphine in the treatment of ICB is still uncertain. Though DBS can reduce the risk of DDS, it can precipitate new ICBs such as hypersexuality.

[Disorders of the will in psychopathology]. / Willensstörungen in der Psychopathologie.

At the beginning of modern psychopathology the notion of the will had a high significance. Thus, the works of Eugen Bleuler, Emil Krapelin and Karl Jaspers show an intensive study of disorders of the will, such as abulia, ambivalence or disorders of impulse control. Retrospectively, changes of the scientific paradigms in psychology could be one of the reasons for a break, which led to giving up the concept of the will in psychopathology. With increasing interest in issues of agency and free will, however, a reactivation of this central concept could close a gap in psychopathology as well as in therapeutic practice. Methodologically, a psychopathology of the will may be founded on a differential typological phenomenology. To this purpose, the article first proposes a classification along the structural components of conation, suspension and volition, then gives a temporal analysis of the predecisional, the decisional and the postdecisional phases. The aim of the article is to help identify different disorders of the will, thus also furthering a psychotherapy of will, which can be connected with both cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic approaches.

[Dialectical-behavioral outpatient therapy for adolescents with impulsive and self-harming behavior]. / Ambulante Dialektisch-Behaviorale Therapie für Adoleszente (DBT-A) mit impulsiven und selbstschädigenden Verhaltensweisen.

A slightly modified version of the Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) for impulsive and self-injurious adolescents has been implemented in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Service in Zurich, Switzerland, since 2005. This DBT-A comprises individual therapy, skills training, and a single parent meeting over a 6-month period. This article reports on the translation of this approach into clinical practice and presents an evaluation based on the clinical quality of control assessments. Participants of the treatment program were 43 female adolescents aged 14 to 19 living in the Zurich area and showing impulsive and self-injurious behavior and problems regulating their emotions and relationships. Each skill group contained 4-6 adolescents. Our mostly positive experiences with this approach were supplemented by evaluation data from a quality control group based on self- and parent-report of a total of 19 participants. There is convincing evidence that DBT-A leads to reductions in both general and specific psychopathology.

Systematic Review of Pharmacological and Behavioral Treatments for Skin Picking Disorder.

Skin picking disorder (SPD) is a newly recognized psychiatric disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. A systematic review was conducted to assess the efficacy of pharmacological and behavioral interventions for SPD. Electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or uncontrolled trials involving at least 10 subjects that examined the efficacy of pharmacological and behavioral interventions for SPD. We examined the improvement associated with interventions compared with inactive control conditions in RCTs and improvement over time in uncontrolled trials and within the treatment arms of RCTs. We stratified studies on the basis of intervention type. Meta-analysis included 11 studies. All interventions (including inactive control conditions) demonstrated significant improvement over the course of short-term clinical trials in SPD. Only behavioral treatments demonstrated significant benefits compared with inactive control conditions. There was no evidence from RCTs that pharmacotherapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or lamotrigine were more effective at treating SPD than placebo. Our meta-analysis suggests that subjects with SPD show significant improvement during short-term trials, regardless of the efficacy of the underlying intervention. This finding suggests that uncontrolled trials are of particularly limited utility for assessing efficacy of treatments in SPD. Future research should concentrate on developing larger placebo-controlled RCTs to examine efficacy of novel pharmacological agents. In addition, research should focus on improving accessibility of behavioral treatments with demonstrated efficacy for SPD.

ANXIOUS AND AGGRESSIVE: THE CO-OCCURRENCE OF IED WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that impulsive aggression and explosive anger are common among individuals with anxiety disorders; yet, the influence of intermittent explosive disorder (IED) on the onset, course, consequences, and patterns of comorbidity among those with anxiety disorders is unknown. METHODS: Data were drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (N = 9,282) and Adolescent Supplement (N = 9,632), nationally representative surveys conducted between 2001 and 2004. Diagnoses were based on structured lay-administered interviews. Lifetime diagnoses were assessed with structured instruments. Outcomes included comorbidity, functional and role impairment, and treatment utilization. RESULTS: Adolescents with a lifetime anxiety disorder had a higher prevalence of a lifetime anger attacks (68.5%) and IED (22.9%) than adolescents without a lifetime anxiety disorder (48.6 and 7.8%, respectively), especially social phobia and panic disorders. Similar elevation was found for adults. Age of onset and course of anxiety disorders did not differ by IED. Severe functional impairment associated with anxiety was higher among adolescents (39.3%) and adults (45.7%) with IED than those without IED (29.2 and 28.2%, respectively). Comorbidity for all other disorders was elevated. However, individuals with anxiety disorders and IED were no more likely to use treatment services than those with anxiety disorders without IED. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with IED concomitant to anxiety disorder, especially social phobia and panic, are at marked risk for worse functional impairment and a higher burden of comorbidity, but onset and course of anxiety disorder do not differ, and those with anxiety and IED are no more likely to utilize treatment services. Assessment, identification, and specialized treatment of anger in the context of anxiety disorders are critical to reducing burden.

Management of impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Impulse control disorders (ICDs) have become a widely recognized non-motor complication of Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients taking dopamine replacement therapy (DRT). There are no current evidence-based recommendations for their treatment, other than reducing their dopaminergic medication. METHODS: This study reviews the current literature of the treatment of ICDs including pharmacological treatments, deep brain stimulation, and psychotherapeutic interventions. RESULTS: Dopamine agonist withdrawal is the most common and effective treatment, but may lead to an aversive withdrawal syndrome or motor symptom degeneration in some individuals. There is insufficient evidence for all other pharmacological treatments in treating ICDs in PD, including amantadine, serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, and opioid antagonists (e.g. naltrexone). Large randomized control trials need to be performed before these drugs can be routinely used for the treatment of ICDs in PD. Deep brain stimulation remains equivocal because ICD symptoms resolve in some patients after surgery but may appear de novo in others. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to improve ICD symptoms in the only published study, although further research is urgently needed. CONCLUSIONS: Further research will allow for the development of evidence-based guidelines for the management of ICDs in PD.

The Young and the Stressed: Stress, Impulse Control, and Health in College Students.

High levels of stress are common among young adults, particularly those enrolled in college. These degrees of stress have shown numerous deleterious effects across both academic and health variables. Findings regarding the role of stress in the presentation of impulse control disorders, particular among college students, are limited. This study examined potential associations between perceived stress, academic achievement, physical/mental health, and impulse control disorders in young adults. A total of 1805 students completed an online survey and were included in the analysis. Responders were grouped by their overall score on the Perceived Stress Scale into mild, moderate, or severe. Severe perceived stress was associated with worse academic achievement and worse physical health, as well as higher rates of psychiatric and impulsive disorders. These findings may suggest associations between stress and numerous aspects of mental/physical health in young adults, which could be an important consideration for individuals working with college students.

[Impulsivity-focused Group Intervention to reduce Binge Eating Episodes in Patients with Binge Eating Disorder - A Group Training Program]. / Impulsivitätsbezogene Verhaltensmodifikation zur Reduktion von Essanfällen bei Patienten mit Binge-Eating-Störung ­ Ein Trainingsprogramm für Gruppen.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is an eating disorder where cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could already show reliable efficacy. Relying on basic research, CBT interventions which especially focus on impulsivity could be effective, because binge eating episodes represent highly impulsive eating behaviour. For this reason, we developed a treatment concept about an impulsivity-focused behavioural group intervention for patients with BED, called IMPULS. The efficacy of IMPULS is currently investigated in a randomised controlled trial 1. IMPULS is drafted as a weekly group training programme with 5-6 participants per group. The essential interventions are food-related cue exposure with response prevention and the development of self-control strategies. These interventions are adapted onto the impulsivity concept from conventional treatment of addictive disorders and BED.

Just one more level: Identifying and addressing internet gaming disorder within primary care.

BACKGROUND: For most people, playing video games is a passionate leisure pursuit: a source of relaxation, fun, socialisation and culture. Moderate play has been associated with greater wellbeing and cognitive abilities in some studies. Yet, for a small subgroup, gaming can become excessive and problematic. OBJECTIVE: This article presents an overview of the world of video games and the recently proposed internet gaming disorder (IGD), as well as advice regarding relevant treatment approaches within primary care. DISCUSSION: Similar to other addictive disorders (including problem gambling), IGD is characterised by excessive use despite negative consequences, with associated difficulties in reducing or stopping. Studies that have examined individuals with IGD have identified multiple harms, including lower psychosocial wellbeing, greater levels of psychopathology and diminished functioning. As yet, few studies have rigorously examined effective treatment options, but adapting psychological interventions used in the treatment of other addictions (eg motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy) that incorporate harm minimisation approaches, and addressing underlying issues and associated problems, are recommended.