Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 20, Issue 25, 2014

Background and aims: The primary aim of the present review was to summarize the findings of genetic studies conducted on problem and pathological gambling. Method: Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Medline and the HuGE Navigator databases using the keywords ‘gambling’ and ‘genetic*’. Results: The literature searches identified 21 empirical studies that had analyzed data from eight independent Read More

Given the importance and the burden of pathological gambling (PG) and its effect on gamblers and their relatives, better comprehension of the phenomena involved in its development and persistence is needed. The present paper describes the previous 5 years of studies on decision making and magnetic resonance imaging in people with PG. Twenty-six studies (456 participants with PG) were included. Perseveration in monet Read More

Sexual addiction, which is also known as hypersexual disorder, has largely been ignored by psychiatrists, even though the condition causes serious psychosocial problems for many people. A lack of empirical evidence on sexual addiction is the result of the disease’s complete absence from versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, people who were categorized as having a compulsive, i Read More

Compulsive buying disorder (CBD) refers to the chronic purchasing of unneeded or unwanted items, causing significant negative consequences. There are no established criteria for CBD, and operational definitions have relied on similarities with OCD, substance use disorders, and impulse control disorders. Compulsive buying disorder is common, affecting 5.8% of the general population, according to one study. Typically, CB Read More

In the last decade, Internet usage has grown tremendously on a global scale. The increasing popularity and frequency of Internet use has led to an increasing number of reports highlighting the potential negative consequences of overuse. Over the last decade, research into Internet addiction has proliferated. This paper reviews the existing 68 epidemiological studies of Internet addiction that (i) contain quantitative empirical d Read More

Research into frequent, excessive, and compulsive social network activity has increased the last years, in which terms such as “social network site addiction” and “Facebook addiction” have been used interchangeably. The aim of this review is to offer more knowledge and better understanding of social network site addiction (SNS-addiction) among researchers as well as clinicians by presenting a narrative overview of the resear Read More

Exercise and sports activity are beneficial both physically and psychologically but excessive exercise may have adverse physiological and psychological effects. There are methodological issues in the definition, diagnosis and etiology of exercise addiction. Several questionnaires and diagnostic tools have been developed and validated and they show high validity and reliability. Exercise addiction has been suggested as Read More

Background: Socially valorized, excessive indoor tanning can lead to dependence. This finding is based on the observations of many dermatologists, who report repeated failures in preventing their patients from visiting tanning cabins, despite the announcement of a diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Objective: The objective of this paper is to show that excessive indoor tanning can be included in the spectrum of addictive b Read More

A growing body of evidence shows that gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an addictive substance. Its precursors gammabutyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) show the same properties and may pose even more risks due to different pharmacokinetics. There are indications that problematic GHB use is increasing in the European Union. This review investigates the existing literature on the neurochemistry of GHB Read More

Cocaine has become a public health problem. Several studies have shown that cocaine addiction is associated with multiple cognitive damages, such as memory, inhibitory control, attention and executive functions. A French cohort of cocaine addicted patients was divided into two groups: CCU (Current cocaine users) and abstainers. Their cognitive abilities were compared to a control group and associations with clinical det Read More

Background: Although methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is recognized as the treatment of reference for opioid dependence, little information is available regarding the dynamic adherence to methadone and its determinants. With data from the Methaville trial we investigated the evolution of non-adherence to methadone and the effect of pre-treatment and in-treatment factors on longterm non-adherence to Read More

New designer drugs (synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones) are new “legal highs” that are sold online for recreational public or private use. Synthetic cannabinoids are psychoactive herbal and chemical products that mimic the effects of cannabis when used. These drugs are available on the Internet or in head shops as incense or air fresheners to circumvent the law. Cathinone is a naturally occurring beta-ket Read More

Cannabis remains the most commonly used and trafficked illicit drug in the world. Its use is largely concentrated among young people (15- to 34-year-olds). There is a variety of cannabis use patterns, ranging from experimental use to dependent use. Men are more likely than women to report both early initiation and frequent use of cannabis. Due to the high prevalence of cannabis use, the impact of cannabis on public health Read More