Traditional and newer impulse control disorders: a clinical update

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are prevalent impairing conditions often comorbid with other psychiatric disorders. Although scattered data would indicate that psychopharmacological interventions maj be effective, ICDs are largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. The present article aims to present a review of some of the available literature on ICD with a specific focus on diagnostic features, comorbidity patterns and pharmacological-treatments. Besides the tradional ICDs included in the DSM-1V- kleptomania, pathological gambling, trichotillomania, pyromania and intermittent explosive disorder - a brief description of the new proposed ICDs - compulsive-impulsive (C-I) Internet usage disorder, C-I shopping, C-I sexual behaviors and C-I skin picking - is provided. In addition, the theoretical models which have suggested that ICDs may share some characteristics of disorders belonging to the obsessive-compulsive, addictive and the affective spectrums will be also discussed, mainly for their treatment implications.