Impulse Control Disorders

Impulse Control Disorders All answers are from DSM-IV-TR or First and Tasman’s book unless otherwise noted. As of 5Mar2007

The five Impulse Control Disorders Q. State the five DSM-IV-TR impulse control disorders.

The 5 Impulse Control Disorders Ans. • Intermittent Explosive Disorder • Kleptomania • Pyromania • Pathological gambling • Trichotillomania [of course, there is also NOS]

Dx criteria for intermittentexplosive disorder Q. List the dx criteria for intermittent explosive disorder.

Dx criteria for intermittentexplosive disorder Ans. • Periodic episodes of aggression that resulted in serious attacks on people or property. • The degree of aggression is grossly out of proportion to the precipitating stressor. • Not part of another mental disorder [this is core to the definition – but doesn’t preclude the pt having another psychiatric disorder. The other disorder should not, however, feature explosive behavior.]

Laboratory findings Q. What are the laboratory findings?

Laboratory findings Ans. -- non-specific EEG findings -- non-specific findings on neuropsych testing, e.g., trouble with letter reversal. -- Cerebrospinal fluid has low 5-HIAA concentrations [These findings are non-specific, i.e., found in many other disorders.]

Amok Q. How is amok different from intermittent explosive disorder?

Amok Ans. Amok is usually a single episode and there is amnesia for the event.

Gender Q. Intermittent explosive disorder is more common in men or women?

Gender Ans. Males

Prevalence Q. What is the prevalence?

Prevalence Ans. The official answer for this disorder is “rare.” But “rare” is partially reflecting that the signs of this disorder, for example rage, are common when people with other diagnoses are included.

Onset Q. Usually at what ages is the onset?

Onset Ans. Childhood till early 20s.

Differential dx Q. List as many conditions as you can that you need to rule out?

Differential dx Ans. • Delirium • Dementia • Personality change due to a general medical condition, general type • Substance intoxication • Substance withdrawal Continued, next slide

Differential dx 6. Oppositional defiant disorder 7. Conduct disorder 8. Antisocial disorder 9. Borderline disorder 10. Mania 11. Schizophrenia 12. Tourette’s 13. “Anger attacks” are seen sometimes as part of MDD or panic disorder

Treatment Q. What are the treatments?

Treatment Ans. Psychosocial: Individual psychotherapies Group psychotherapies [Not clear why First and Tasman don’t mention Anger management per se.] Meds [all off label]: Mood stabilizers [Li and the anticonvulsants] Beta blockers SSRIs

Kleptomania All answers, unless otherwise stated, are from DSM-IV-TR or First and Tasman.

Kleptomania criteria Q. The criteria for kleptomania is?

Kleptomania criteria Ans. • Recurrent stealing of objects that are not needed by that person. • Tension before stealing. • Relief of tension with the stealing • Stealing is not the result of anger, vengeance, or another psychiatric disorder

gender Q. Gender breakdown?

Gender Ans. Women 2:1.

Prevalence Ans. Rare. <5% of shoplifters.

Course Q. What is the age of onset and the subsequent course?

Course Ans. Onset can be almost any age, and subsequent course is quite variable, some pts have a quite chronic course even with repeated arrests, others pts have long remissions between episodes.

Clinician attitude Q. If such a pt is referred to you, what should your attitude be to the stealing behavior?

Clinician attitude Ans. Provide a nonjudgmental and supportive stance.

Psychosocial treatment Q. What are the psychosocial treatments?

Psychosocial treatment Ans. No systematic or controlled psychosocial treatments. Successful anecdotal treatments include: -- complete abstinence from prospective stores -- aversive conditioning -- systemic desensitization -- covert sensitization -- psychodynamic therapy

Biological approaches Q. What biological approaches have been reported to be successful?

Biological approaches Ans. -- antidepressants -- mood stabilizers, including Li -- combining the above two -- antipsychotics -- stimulants -- ECT

Pyromania Unless otherwise indicated, answers are from DSM-IV-TR or from First and Tasman.

Pyromania criteria Q. What is the criteria needed to dx pyromania?

Pyromania Ans. • Recurrent purposeless [other than tension relief] fire setting. • Tension or affective arousal before setting the fire. • Attraction to the fire and its situational context. • Pleasure with setting the fire or its aftermath • The fire setting is not the result of other needs [revenge, financial gain, etc.] or the result of another psychiatric disorder.

Prevalence Ans. Rare. While fire setting is common expression of other disorders in children and adolescents, pyromania is rare.

Gender Q. Gender breakdown in pts with pyromania?

Gender Ans. Much more common in males.

A predictor of recidivism Q. A history of . . . . suggests there will be recidivism of the pyromania behavior?

A predictor of recidivism Ans. Suicide attempt.

Psychosocial treatments Q. What are the psychosocial treatments of pyromania?

Psychosocial treatments Ans. The literature focuses on treating pts with fire setting more broadly, that is addressing other signs of psychopathology, not just on pyromania: -- education, including helping pt find alternative routes to relieve tensions that have been associated with fire-setting. -- CBT

Pathological gambling The answers, unless otherwise indicated, are from DSM-IV-TR or First and Tasman.

Criteria for dx of pathological gambling Q. Criteria, general?

Criteria for dx ofpathological gambling Ans. While DSM-IV-TR has a five or more of ten signs, basically it is recurrent, persistent, and maladaptive gambling that disrupts personal, family or vocational pursuits, AND is not better conceptualized as part of another disorder, especially not a sign of mania.

Gender Q. Gender breakdown?

Impulse Control Disorders