title: Disorders characterized by poor impulse control.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Impulse Control Disorders (ICDs) are an eclectic group of conditions in which a person has a drive, urge, or temptation, to perform a potentially harmful act, or fails to resist an impulse.
  
  
  METHODS
  Authors reviewed the current medical literature addressing this diverse group of disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the behaviors associated with these conditions can cause a great deal of suffering for patients and their families, they have remained relatively under-researched and poorly characterized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent studies have explored both pharmacological and psychosocial treatments, giving rise to greater hope for the development of more effective treatments for these challenging disorders.
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kuzma
authors.forename: Donald W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans