[Impulse control disorders and other serotonin function disorders]

Disturbances of impulse control, classified in ICD-10 and/or DSM-IV, have a high risk of comorbidity with other disturbances of the serotonin system. These affective disturbances could be interpreted as symptoms of a related syndrome because they usually respond to antidepressive pharmacotherapy. Selective SSRIs in addition to their antidepressant activity are useful even for impulse control disturbances and for common multimorbid mixed disturbances by their polyvalent serotoninergic activity because they improve at least quality of life in these patients. Results are better in patients with episodically disturbed impulse control than in those constitutionally afflicted.